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Devon Meredith

President Obama's Executive Power Grab - Newsweek and The Daily Beast - 3 views

www.thedailybeast.com/...ma-s-executive-power-grab.html

shared by Devon Meredith on 30 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • if a legislative proposal fails, find an executive order or administrative directive to replace it.
    • Amanda Garcia
      Amanda Garcia on 30 Oct 12
       
      This can be very dangerous and disruptive to our system. It's unfortunate, because I can why both sides are doing what they are doing, for what they both believe are the right reasons. The President is crossing a lot of borders when he decides to act like this against Congress's will, but when there's an impasse, what else can he do but take action in other ways? And the Congress disagrees with all of his proposals and thinks they would be detrimental to our nation, so what else can they do but stonewall them? Both parties might do better to come to a mutual agreement, but since that has failed to be an option I understand why Obama feels the need to bypass Congress, whether it is right or wrong. 
    • Tyler Schnorf
      Tyler Schnorf on 31 Oct 12
       
      I agree with this. Loalty to polictical parties is starting to get in the way of getting important things done in congress. Politicians have to start working togehter more efficiently or else our country is going to suffer becuase we cant get anything done in a time of need.
    • haakonasker
      haakonasker on 02 Nov 12
       
      I agree with both Amanda and Tyler. It is extremely important that politicians work together to get stuff done. It doesn't help to only be loyal to your political party, you need to create a solution that fits the best for all. Some political questions are hard to work on because the views on them are completely different. Some examples are gay rights and taxes. The view on these are completely different, so to make a solution that fits both would be very difficult. But other political questions needs to be worked on together, then more would be done. That is what this country really need.
  • “I just couldn’t do any more revenue,”
    • georgenasr
      georgenasr on 31 Oct 12
       
      I thought the reason Boehner dropped the deal was because of a last minute disagreement him and the president had. Or is this pointing at that exact reason? 
    • Brandon Weger
      Brandon Weger on 02 Nov 12
       
      I really like reading these Diigo posts and finding out the information that is never, or rather rarely seen in the news. You barely see direct quotes like this when politicians have clueless and instances when we remember that they're only human and have moments of weakness.
  • These guys are willing to let the country go into default rather than negotiate a compromise
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 01 Nov 12
       
      This is definitely the major problem today as parties are just pitted against eachother.. They will not budge on a matter that another party supports, which is really unfortunate for our country, one where we definitely need the parties to work together. We need people to step up from both sides and actually compromise to get something done that is good from our country instead of holding back and getting nothin beneificial done. Its sad that the President has to go around Congress to get something done when there should be compromise that both sides can agree with.
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 01 Nov 12
       
      I agree. There is no way anything is going to get solved if the parties don't start copromising. No matter what president is in power, if the parties are pitted against each other nothing will get solved.
    • Caitlin Fransen
      Caitlin Fransen on 01 Nov 12
       
      I agree with the two comments above, instead of being completely against the other party.. we should be able to negotiate in order to find a compromise that better suits both parties desires. If they were able to do this... some of our countries problems would be better off and solved by this point. 
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 02 Nov 12
       
      Yeah, but none of people on both parties have the courage to not do what their peers are doing, to compromise and negotiate. No one wants to be the one that gets blackballed and have people against them. But I do agree that this is a problem. I don't really find that there is a solution to this problem though; I don't think anyone is just going to start negotiating at any given moment. They're too polarized and most to all of them are worried about the repercussions to do something about it.
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 02 Nov 12
       
      I think this shows the sad truth that now political parties can not do anything without having some kind of back lash from their fellow members or worse, the media. They all have to follow in line and do not get t speak out as much because change the way people view them may make them what to vote them out of their office.So we are stuck in this gridlock where no one can do anything.
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 02 Nov 12
       
      Polarization is definitely an issue in US politics today. It's like, they'd rather jeopardize the country rather than compromise. I feel like the two sides spend way too much time demonizing each other rather than actually looking at the issues at hand. It's more about which party holds the most power now than it is about the country's well-being.
    • Kelsey Fratello
      Kelsey Fratello on 02 Nov 12
       
      I agree that this is a major problem. It is important for the two parties to work together because otherwise none of the problems are going to get solved. It seems like they care more about winning the argument against their opposing party than they do about solving the problem in the way that will be the most beneficial for the people that are affected by the problem. I agree with Karina that each party is mostly concerned with gaining the most power as opposed to solving the problems in the best way.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 02 Nov 12
       
      There are some things that could be understood that the republicans would not want passed, but to block every thing is just going to cause more problems. They have to start compromising with each other and if they do not want a specific thing passed they should focus on that specific issue. The President though has no right to go completely around congress no matter what.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • But now the president was doing something that he’d previously deemed impossible, and that Congress had repeatedly forbidden: singlehandedly granting relief to an entire category of young immigrants, as many as 1.7 million people, who’d otherwise be subject to deportation.
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 01 Nov 12
       
      How can he singlehandedly do this? I thought with checks and balances he couldn't do anything without approval from the other two branches?
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 02 Nov 12
       
      Although I think what he did was great and I agree with the DREAM act, I find it scary that he had the power to do this by himself. I don't believe it was the correct way to go about things.
    • elliott reyes
      elliott reyes on 02 Nov 12
       
      I do agree with Justina what he did was great I aswell agree with the dream act, i also thought he coldnt do anything without the approval from the oth 2 branches .. this musyt have not been the correct way to do things
    • Caitlin Scott
      Caitlin Scott on 02 Nov 12
       
      The other two branches work very slow in comparison to what the president can do.  At one point in this article it does say that people are trying to restrain his power by filling constitutional complaints about the president, but with all of his recent appointments to the Supreme Court, they won't do anything with them.  There is literally no one policing him so he just gets to do whatever he wants.
    • Devin Milligan
      Devin Milligan on 02 Nov 12
       
      I think that there should be a better way to limit the power of the president. He should not be able to do what he wants. And i also agree with the dream act.
  • “reject[ing] the patience of politics required by the Constitution he has sworn to uphold”
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 02 Nov 12
       
      This is somewhat true in the sense that Obama did not go through the lengthy process required to pass laws or other proposals. Instead, he just passed them on his own. He lacked the patience of waiting through the process which was set up to ensure fairness, equality, and promote checks and balances
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 02 Nov 12
       
      I agree. What is the point in having separation of powers if the Commander in Chief is going to maneuver around them? The logic behind Montesquieu's model of government was to avoid any one branch from gaining too much power. Unfortunately, the president has been moving toward what Montesquieu feared most, too much exercised power in one branch.  
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 02 Nov 12
       
      I agree with you guys but he also doesn't have support from Congress.  Anything he does try to push through gets shot down immediately.  Unfortunately he almost has to resort to passing it on his own to get anything done, however I do feel that it obviously has to go through the proper way instead of not using the checks and balances 
  • then that is going to lead to a constant dead end
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 02 Nov 12
       
      If everything is always going to lead to a constant dead end, then we wont get anything done. There's has to be cooperation for us to progress.
  • spewing coals
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 02 Nov 12
       
      I would be as well, the key to a good democracy is working together, as they seemed to have been doing. Low blow by Boehner to back out last second after so much deliberation. 
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 04 Nov 12
       
      It does seem like a low blow that Boehner made yet when there are so many issues and nothing is being changed, I feel like after a while I would be fed up as well. Change does take time but the amount of time it has taken for there to be change now seems very large. 
  • anted to remind Obama’s team that whatever they did next, they had to do it in a way that preserved the integrity of the White House,
    • Caitlin Scott
      Caitlin Scott on 02 Nov 12
       
      They have done neither, and the fact that his own VP thinks his actions are wrong sends a terrible message to the people in this country and makes him seem like he is better than every other policy maker out there.  The system is in place for a reason, and he is completely disregarding America and our values as a people. 
  • Congress
  • and the relationship between them
    • Phillip Delgado
      Phillip Delgado on 02 Nov 12
       
      Obama should not be going over congress like this. The point of our checks and balances system is so that no one branch has too much power. I could understand if it was during a time of war but that's not where we are right now. Maybe it is Obama who should compromise.
  • But what he’s not going to do, if Congress refuses to act, is sit on the sidelines and do nothing. That’s the path he’s taken.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 02 Nov 12
       
      Although this may appear to be a frightening and disproportionate grab of power, at least he stepped up and did what he had to do. Our political system operates in the waters of partisanship because that is what is supposed to be most representative of and appealing to the American public. But when the bipartisanship of this country presents as a barrier to democracy and a game played by both sides, nobody is served, not the public and not those responsible for setting democracy into action. The president's decision to make the "executive power grab" was forced by Boehner and his party, and props to Obama for having the guts to push back against the bipartisan game. 
  • what could Obama do without Congress
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 02 Nov 12
       
      Without congress Obama has been struggling to get things done, leaving only few policies Obama could push through. Like lowering the interest rates, so homeowners could keep their homes.  
  • Emily Shandorf on 02 Nov 12
     
    Obama is just trying to achieve a comprehensive immigration reform. This article speaks about President Obama deciding to act on his own because of his failed attempts to work with the Republican Congress. I agree that President Obama must act alone now because he has tried his best to work with the Republicans. I believe that this is the best strategy because this is what he was elected to do by the people that voted for him. I believe that the country needs to take action on important issues; one of these is the Dream Act-a law that gives immigrant children the chance to become citizens. I believe that this article shows how the political system is paralyzed when we have a Democratic President and a Republic Congress. Obama has tried to compromise, but the Republicans have not given him a chance. They would rather fight just to oppose him than do what is right for the country. I hope that, as the title of the article states, this changes the way Washington works----for the better!
Kim H

Data & Design How-to's Note 5: Get the idea | Drawing by Numbers - 1 views

drawingbynumbers.org/...note-5-get-the-idea

shared by Kim H on 28 Oct 12 - No Cached
  • It can be effective when trying to help people understand a problem that is otherwise difficult to grasp or as a visual device for giving a second layer to a story
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 28 Oct 12
       
      This is very true. Often, the public is confused or even not interested in political problems, so a visual image proves effective enough to simplify the issue to the point where it is easily understood by the general public. These can even assist in developing voter identification as they can easily decide which side to take on various issues. 
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 29 Oct 12
       
      I think metaphors also help in the sense that they connect a rather strange or misguided topic with a more relatable idea. If somebody cannot understand something then it may be beneficial to use a metaphor which connects it to something they can understand. This not only helps the speaker get their message out but also helps the receiver understand and relate better. 
  • This image teases at the difficult question of what motherhood and parenting are, trying to bring to the surface the audience's opinions about whether caring for an adopted child is different or lesser to parenting a child you bore yourself.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 28 Oct 12
       
      I find this image really interesting as it shows that becoming a mother is not necessarily about going the full nine months of pregnancy, but what you do with the baby and to help raise it and become a good person. You care for the child and do all that you can for him and her and that is what makes you a mother and this picture I believe does a great job of getting that point across.
    • Kim H
      Kim H on 30 Nov 12
       
      This image is very powerful and really gets the reader's attention. It brings to mind questions of adoption and not only how parenting an adopted child may be different from parenting a child you bore yourself, but also shows that a mother is made a mother by the mere fact of having a child, no matter how it came into her life. 
  • campaign a fake celebrity expose is created. The famous male doll produced by the Mattel
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 29 Oct 12
       
      I honestly believe that this one of the smartest ways to capture the voters attention on a particular candidate. I can say for myself, that seeing a campaign ad, starring one of my favorite childhood toys, is very intriguing. 
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • The visual presentation reveals some morbid facts: more people jumped east towards the city, and the single most popular spot is the centre of the bridge.
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 29 Oct 12
       
      The graph on the right has more emotional appeal to the suicides. Especially indicating where they have jumped from. It's saddening to know that most of these people jump towards the city and the center. I agree that there should be safety regulations to end this tragic statistic.
  • “The Flags play with people's pride. You take a symbol of national pride and identity and show an aspect of that identity that people are not proud of. It really works,”
    • Amanda Garcia
      Amanda Garcia on 30 Oct 12
       
      This is an interesting way to get attention. Though, it does evoke feelings of hostility toward and within that country. Perhaps insulting the nation as a whole would help the defense of the cause, but perhaps it would not. It is like what was said earlier, these can be dangerous topics which need to be presented in clever and informative way. 
  • Emily Shandorf on 29 Oct 12
     
    It is interesting how the Brazilian ambassador in Portugal was worried about the problem that they have about the issue of female genital mutilation, and that he thought there was needed also another positive comment that Brazil was a beautiful place to travel too for vacation. I also found it interesting how they consider the flag as being a symbol and how they divide it into the color of the stripes given the different meanings such as "representing the number of oil producers and the majority blue background as the number of oil consumers." It seems that they take a symbol "of national pride and identity and show an aspect of that identity that people are not proud of". "The Flags play with people's pride." This shows us the power of images and the power of creativity, too!
elliott reyes

Chimp Fights and Trolley Rides - Radiolab - 13 views

www.radiolab.org/...chimp-fights-and-trolley-rides

shared by elliott reyes on 07 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • "inner chimp"
    • jose marichal
      jose marichal on 07 Sep 12
       
      My inner chimps name is bubbles?
  • waitin
    • jose marichal
      jose marichal on 07 Sep 12
       
      i disagree
    • georgenasr
      georgenasr on 08 Sep 12
       
      That's really interesting! In highshcool, I only heard the first 5 minutes of this, but to hear about the stuff like how the brain uses different regions to say yes or no was interesting! The whole psychology aspect of this is really cool.
  • ...4 more annotations...
    • Ashley Mehrens
      Ashley Mehrens on 09 Sep 12
       
      I found that it was very interesting how quickly they dismissed the idea that parents instill some of the qualities into their children. In my opinion someone has to stimulate the children to succumb to the evolutionary inner chimp. Even though when the younger chimps couldn't decide who got the branch, then the older ones had to intervene and teach them how to properly act. In the same way parents intervene when their child can't seem to figure out the proper way to share during their play date. The evolutionary aspect seems to be proven fairly well but from previous knowledge we all know that from birth we do not have that innate sense of right and wrong. Your inner chimp has to grow and mature before being able to sense right and wrong. 
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 10 Sep 12
       
      Exactly. What kind of environment one grows up and, and the types of influences one gains throughout one's life should be able to play a big factor in how they act. We learn these things.
    • Amanda Garcia
      Amanda Garcia on 10 Sep 12
       
      I thought it was great how they took an incredibly abstract concept such as morality and put it to the scientific test. It suggests that morality may be instilled according to upbringing and environment but is inherently biological. It takes what is generally considered to be subjective and makes it predictable within our species (with a few outliers), for reasons we can't even quite understand. Which means that evolution dictates many of our ideas of right and wrong. 
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 10 Sep 12
       
      I thought it was interesting that when the brain was looked at when asked the trolley questions that so much changed and different parts started to light up. How people saw the two deaths a different when they had to ask themselves about "personally killing" someone versus just pulling the switch
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 10 Sep 12
       
      The brain really battles itself and really shows how people get to what is right and what is wrong can be more than just moral ,but biological as well.
    • Meghann Ellis
      Meghann Ellis on 10 Sep 12
       
      To me personally i found it interesting that the two trolley stories both ended with someone being killed, but the what one person had to do were on the opposite ends. Its fascinating to see how when ask which option they would chose most people said pulling the lever even though it still ended in the same result which is a death of one person. I agree in the statement above that the brain when making decisions is not only based on morals but also biological. To me the fact that our morality might not have come from they way us humans grow up and our surroundings but instead from our basic inner chimp bring forth the question of if our morals play any part of decision making.
  • The most interesting possibility is that the brain may have more than one way to handle complex decisions. I'd have to say that at this point science can't say much beyond that when it comes to morality and ethics. Morality and ethics are constructs we come up with to try and put some order into personal actions both on an inter-personal level and in larger groups and societies as a whole.
    • elliott reyes
      elliott reyes on 12 Sep 12
       
      kjsdfwbfwefndfad
  • Emily Shandorf on 09 Sep 12
     
    If found interesting the fact that people don't feel as shamed of pulling a lever to save five people and kill one instead of pushing the person over the train. The people in the interview think that pulling a lever is better because they wouldn't feel as much guilt as pushing the person down from the trolley. Even if we all know that both are not great solutions. The gut feeling called as "inner chimp" I like how they say that moral sense is a unique and special human quality. Maybe we should ask ourselves what it really is. How the human brain works of different people is also very interesting I find because many people think differently and are ashamed of what other people think or would choose. Out of competition comes morality. We already have a sense of right and wrong when we are born, even before our parents can tell us. Basic primate morality understands the effect of pushing a person off, in this case, the trolley. The "inner chimp", which is "act of deep goodness". this is all connected to the 10 commandments, especially the one "thou shall not kill " Everything is always for a reason. Same story Killing your own baby or saving a village. I find it interesting how people would choose to kill their own baby and therefore save themselves and the rest of the people who live in the village. Others instead are very contrary because they say that a baby is God's gift. Everything now can evolve around having the inner strength for doing things like killing your own baby. I wonder if people that say that they would kill their own baby have actually the inner strength to do it. Actions speak louder than words. I think that it is also different when you have to decide to kill your own baby or save a village especially when you don't have one because you don't really know how it feels to be a parent and have a gift from God that not everyone can rece
Gaby Ramirez Castorena

Bystanders to Genocide Questions- Bethany Petersen - 25 views

Well, I think that every single country holds a moral responsibility to protect the human rights of those around the world. That being said, yeah I think that as a leading power in the world, the U...

started by Bethany Petersen on 03 Dec 11 3 follow-ups, last by Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 06 Dec 11
shane paulson

Stone Chapter 14-Rights Questions by Shane Paulson - 16 views

1) What are some concepts that help us to distinguish what is a positive right and what should be considered a normative right? Is there a grey area? Are there some normative rights that should be ...

question

started by shane paulson on 01 Dec 11 no follow-up yet
Kim H

Jay-Z vs the Game: Lessons for the American Primacy Debate | Marc Lynch - 3 views

lynch.foreignpolicy.com/...or_the_american_primacy_debate

shared by Kim H on 10 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • When he learnt this lesson might also offer insights into how great powers in IR learn.  He changed his style after his most famous beef, and the only one which he lost:  his battle with the Queensbridge legend Nas
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 10 Nov 11
       
      Never! Jay won this battle :) Supa Ugly!!
  • Jay-Z is a bit different, given his hegemonic status and the absence of a prior relationship. The Game has always had a particularly odd, passive-aggressive relationship with Jay-Z.
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 11 Nov 11
       
      Game wants to be Jay z. Simply, the game has not been the same since he left GUNIT. If he attacks rap hero, its nothing because the hero wont even respond. Jay z started a new trend by not responding to rappers or by subliminally mentioning them. With his age, i think maturity is also apart of his resistance not to respond to the game, but rap is a young man's sport. Jay z is getting old in their eyes!
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 16 Nov 12
       
      I also think that the west coast v east coast battle (that has been going on since biggie and 2pac) may have something to do with this.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 16 Nov 12
       
      its all about whos on top, competitive game to rule the rap world.
    • Meghann Ellis
      Meghann Ellis on 16 Nov 12
       
      Agreeing with Justina about the west coast vs. east may have something to do with it. Many rappers today are either from one side or the other and are gang affiliated. This posses rivalrys between many of the famous rappers in which there lyrics talk badly about one another. But it seems like the little tiff with Jay Z and the game can stem from west vs. east but is so minor that Jay Z could careless. I feel like the game is insecure and is somewhat jealous of Jay Z's fame and status in the rap game.
    • Kim H
      Kim H on 30 Nov 12
       
      The east coast vs the west coast, as well as rival gang affiliations on either side of the country definitely  play a role in how rappers respond to one another. someone else mentioned that ignoring someone is the best dis, and often times, i think that's true. a lot of people just want attention and so they try to start fights where there doesn't need to be any. 
    • Nancy Camarillo
      Nancy Camarillo on 11 Nov 11
       
      It goes back to the idea that giving importance to those who have less power than you do whether it is politically based or a music rivalry will only increase the power social power of the lesser party. Yet if you use your power to completely oppress the party with the less power, then you are seen as abusing importance of your power in society. So then what is one to do? How d
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 11 Nov 11
       
      I think Jay-Z is just best leaving things as is and not interfering. Similar to the world of politics and society in general, retalliation even when provoked does not shed the person in a good light...thats because society sees it as "whoever walks away without causing more harm or offending somebody, even when you were offended, is the bigger person". As a result, if they dont "walk away", it ends up being detrimental to a persons career
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 16 Nov 12
       
      I wonder what would have happened if we had used this way of thinking after 9/11 attacks...
    • Tori Mayeda
      Tori Mayeda on 16 Nov 12
       
      I agree that it is probably best for Jay-z to walk away and be the "bigger person" even if it means letting the Game win.  It's interesting to apply this to 9/11. It would have saved alot more lives. But i think that with so many lives that were lost in 9/11, if nothing happened then the public would be dissatisfied. The ones who lost people would feel like no one cared. 
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 16 Nov 12
       
      i also agree that Jay-Z is being the bigger person by not responding to the Game's offensive comments.Being the better person, I think, only applies when people are not being hurt or killed. In the  case of the 9/11 attacks however, it is the government's duty to protect its citizens.  They needed to respond with force because if we did not, then other countries might get the idea that we are passive and non-confrontational.   This may open up the doors for more attacks on the U.S. resulting in the loss of more lives.
  • ...10 more annotations...
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 11 Nov 11
       
      I think the author's friends reaction is what most people also think. But why should another rappers beliefs affect his career negatively? There is the question of whether or not he has the right to express his beliefs in that manner, but then do WE have the right to judge him because of his beliefs and then affect his career in singing?
  • His best hope is probably to sit back and let the Game self-destruct, something of which he's quite capable  (he's already backing away from the hit on Beyonce) -- while working behind the scenes to maintain his own alliance structure and to prevent any defections over to the Game's camp.
    • Melissa Moreno
      Melissa Moreno on 11 Nov 11
       
      Jay-Z does benefit the most by letting the Game make a fool of himself in the public's eye. He has the most to lose. He's a smart man and much like politics he knows when he needs to step up and defend himself and when he needs to let a punk kid run his mouth and ruin their own career. 
    • Caitlin Fransen
      Caitlin Fransen on 16 Nov 12
       
      I agree with this statement, it is a very smart idea for Jay-Z to just sit back and not fight back... Game will self-destruct himself. He will make a fool of himself by proceeding to go after Jay-Z and having Jay-Z ignore him. Jay-Z will be looked at as the better person.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 16 Nov 12
       
      This seems an awful lot like the game of politics. Rappers or politicians, it's fiercely competitive and people will rise and fall on their own accord. 
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 16 Nov 12
       
      Jay-Z is handling the situation right. If someone is trying to push your buttons for no valid reason and is not cooperating, then the best thing to do is wait for the opposing side's self destruction. I agree with Caitlin, Jay-Z looks better compared to the Game , making him more mature.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 16 Nov 12
       
      Jay-z definitely is being smart about how he reacts. Just like in politics, if someone attacks you or says something bad about you, you would just look as stupid and rude as they did when they tried to attack you. You always look better if you handle it maturely.
  • Should he use this power to its fullest extent, as neo-conservatives would advise, imposing his will to reshape the world, forcing others to adapt to his values and leadership?
    • Joette Carini
      Joette Carini on 11 Nov 11
       
      I definitely do agree with Jay-Z having A LOT of power. I really do believe that he could do whatever he wanted and it would be accepted by most people, regardless of what it was. Of course, not everyone is always happy, but he can surely appease plenty of people.
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 16 Nov 12
       
      I agree, plus he's a pretty respectable guy. But even if he has a lot of power to do what he wants, either make a change or not, it's his choice to make that decision. I'm not really sure if I like how they stated this question though, "forcing others to adapt to his values and leadership." Yeah, he has a lot of power, but it feels like the author is making him seem more powerful than he really is.
    • haakonasker
      haakonasker on 16 Nov 12
       
      I agree. He is a very respectible guy. He does have a lot of power, and beeing with Beyonce make them a incredible powerful couple in the music industry. The have already supported president Obama and gay marriage. This will influence a lot of people.
    • Edmund Garrett
      Edmund Garrett on 16 Nov 12
       
      I never really thought much about cultural hegemony. Many rap artists such as jay z (and especially jay z). Through his songs and their lyrics he can manipulate culture and interests if he truly is that influential (I personally never thought twice about the guys). But he should use that power to the utmost extent if his message was good by our societal values. But it would be very dangerous if they weren't.
    • Finn Sukkestad
      Finn Sukkestad on 14 Nov 12
       
      A part of me hopes that people do not take everything Jay-Z sings about as part of their own ideologies.  He is number one on the Forbes list as an entertainer and I think people forget that, there is a certain amount of meaning to his rap but he is also making music that he hopes will sell and make him a lot of money and not always trying to send the most morally correct message to listeners.
    • Caitlin Scott
      Caitlin Scott on 16 Nov 12
       
      I totally agree with you, as smart as Jay-z may be about how to sell records and build a reputation and business in the music industry does not mean that his opinions or music have any kind of substance.
  • the countdown to the end of the Game's career starts today.
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 15 Nov 12
       
      I think since this paper was written in 2009 is really shows the power that people have over others. This line shows it perfectly because I have heard Jay-Z for the last couple of years on the radio and in the media but i hear none of The Game, I don not even know who he is (this could be due to the fact that I listen to country) But this still shows that if you criticize  someone in power the back lash could take you down and make them even more popular because people will want to defend and help someone who has not said some thing back, for example Taylor swift and Kanye we all know what I mean just by me saying their names together and that did help her career because it put her in the news much more then if she would have just won and got her award.
  • So what does Jay-Z do?  If he hits back hard in public, the Game will gain in publicity even if he loses... the classic problem of a great power confronted by a smaller annoying challenger
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 15 Nov 12
       
      I believe that it is best to do what is mentioned below... to let the Game continue on his way and the public will probably see it as a reach for power or publicity and Jay-Z will look like the good guy with not confronting the Game and causing a huge scene. The politics can relate to this as people do not want to see ugly confrontations, we want to see maturity to handle our society and make progress for a better society.
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 16 Nov 12
       
      This 'matchup' is very similar to political figures, as well as between countries. If we were watching a presidential debate and saw one politician pining at the other and mocking them (or negative ads, generally. but not always), we would instantly be turned away as long as the receiver of the disses stayed above it all
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 16 Nov 12
       
      A well established power does not need to address all the up and coming challengers that my come his/her way. Publicly confronting a smaller force may give it more power or momentum by giving the smaller force. Bringing the well established power down a few levels so the well established power must do one of two things. Assume it is just a phase that will quickly die down or cut off all sources of power that may help the up and coming power.
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 15 Nov 12
       
      If Jay-Z ignores the game, he will look like the bigger person. When the game led crowds in cheers of "F*** Jay-Z" and "Old Ass N*****" at some of his shows, it seemed like he was trying to get attention as well as gain supporters while they were fully into his music. 
  • As Jay-Z got older and more powerful, the marginal benefits of such battles declined and the costs increased even as the number of would-be rivals escalated
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 16 Nov 12
       
      This methodology obviously worked for him, now owning part of the Brooklyn Nets, albiet a small part, producing an incredibly successful album with Kanye West, being featured on multiple tracks with the G.O.O.D Music group, and marrying Beyonce. He didn't try and follow his predecessors, and did not let others like The Game sway his postions. His tenacity led him to the top, and he and his wife are one of the richest and most successful couples in Hollywood. 
  • He's generally avoided getting embroiled in beefs since reaching the top, only occasionally and briefly hitting back at provocations from rising contenders like 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and others.
    • Brandon White
      Brandon White on 16 Nov 12
       
      I feel being an adult and not responding to these things speaks more than any attempt Jay-Z might have to defend himself. Instead of stooping to their level, he simply has to show that he is too mature for their childish antics and that he has no interest in responding to them. I guess you could say that Jay-Z is avoiding the inducements that the other rappers are trying to get him to fall for. 
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 16 Nov 12
       
      its good, rappers these days are degrading and its all about the game and whos on top. He is a good example of working hard and making good choices that has led him to be successful.
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 16 Nov 12
       
      This is really interesting. I never knew that rap was the equivalent to a competition, to a lot of people. Very passive-aggressive
Mark Drach-Meinel

Steve Santos' questions on inducements (Nov 11th, 2:45 Class) - 32 views

On the subject of the TED video, I wasn't surprised about how intrinsic motivations beat monetary motivations. However; I was very surprised to learn how much better it is to have money as an induc...

inducements discussion

started by steve santos on 10 Nov 11 12 follow-ups, last by Mark Drach-Meinel on 13 Nov 11
Flavio Guzman

Sample Chapter for Fung, A.: Empowered Participation: Reinventing Urban Democracy. - 2 views

press.princeton.edu/...s7762.html

shared by Flavio Guzman on 05 Nov 11 - Cached
  • Voices of minority, less educated, diffident, or culturally subordinate participants are often drowned out by those who are wealthy, confident, accustomed to management, or otherwise privileged.
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 05 Nov 11
       
      This is true. Monorities are always left out of decision making. Those in power think that minorities do not know how to think critically and do not understand decision process. However, is it all about how smart we are? Or is it about making the best decision for the betterment of the polis? Minorities and people with low income bring something else to the table that the affluents dont. Diversity of ideas and polices is the best way for empowered participation to acually be empowered. Similar to the Hobson's choice- a list of options will already determine how people think and will make an option the only reaasonable possibility.
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 06 Nov 11
       
      Certainly the minority has good ideas. If they are driven enough and generate support, they can get these ideas across. After all, it is said that seeming like the underdog is good for generating support in public policy. It is not all about how smart minorities are, it's about how their strategies work for gaining a strong influence.
    • Matt Nolan
      Matt Nolan on 07 Nov 11
       
      This statement is true, I feel that minorities are left out because communities and schools want to keep traditions how they have been for hundreds of years. Minorities are left out of decision making because many times other minorities feel they are not receiving the same amount of attention and it becomes a problem for the whole community. Minorities and people with low-income bring new ideas and traditions to the community that are good for the community. What they are doing at Harembee Academy is good for the community and it shows how minorities are gaining power and showing the community that they are just as important as the people that have held the same traditions for years. Our communities need to be well-diversed and adopt the some of the same ideas from the community surrounded by Harembee.
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 07 Nov 11
       
      Also, when excluding the minorities a lot of diversity is taken out of decision making and I found what we discussed in class, about how a diverse group will come to a better solution to a problem than a group of smart people from similar backgrounds and groups.
    • Jonathan Omokawa
      Jonathan Omokawa on 07 Nov 11
       
      I agree with the example that we talked about in class. There is also a reference to Plato in this. In "The Republic" Plato says that tradesmen who are good at a trade think that because they are good at one thing, they are good at everything.
    • Xochitl Cruz
      Xochitl Cruz on 07 Nov 11
       
      I agree that this statement is true. Generally those that are at the end of the pyramid do not get much say. People who have wealth, power, and an education tend to do very well, and their say if heard by others. Money has a lot of say in the matter and those who do not have much access to it, will suffer the inevitable consequences.
    • Kiera Murphy
      Kiera Murphy on 07 Nov 11
       
      I agree with the above quote and statements. Citizens are driven by the idea to live the "American Dream." People strive for success, and education and over everything making a lot of money. We are a economically driven society so we tend to associate power with money so naturally minority groups are factored out in terms of having a voice. I believe that it's crucial for these minority groups to have a voice because in reality they are effected by policy decisions just as much as anyone else, if not more. They should be granted the same benefits as a wealthier member of society when it comes to the generation and implementation of laws.The government should not decide who benefits from policy...policy should benefit the polis as a whole.
    • Valencia Hamilto
      Valencia Hamilto on 07 Nov 11
       
      I agree with this statement. Minorities often get looked down upon when they bring an idea forth by the more privileged because they feel as if the minorities don't know anything because of their background. However just like we discussed in class it is the diversity of ideas put together that makes the best decisions.
    • Ryan Brown
      Ryan Brown on 07 Nov 11
       
      I can see why he says that in the piece, the biggest motivator to listen is money. Look at presidential candidates as much as they need the first person he talks about to vote for them, they need to money, power and influence to run, they all fall under that category. Education is also an unbias world so someone who is less educated has taken it upon themselves to end up like that. Minorities yes this is true, it is extremely unfortunate for that to happen and it should never but is prejudice able to be solved in our country? we can only hope.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 12 Nov 12
       
      dont really feel like this statement is true, with our president there voices are definitely heard.
    • Alexa Datuin
      Alexa Datuin on 12 Nov 12
       
      I do agree with the fact that money and wealth is a huge part in being successful and having a voice in the community, or world. But the whole "culture" issue has made progress. I am not saying that everyone is treated equally, because there are a lot of discrimination still going on. Like what Chelsea has said. with our president, there is progress, but for the most part there is still some unfairness going on.
    • Kelsey Fratello
      Kelsey Fratello on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree that this statement is true. The voices of minority are considered less important when they shouldn't be. It's only fair when deciding on a solution to consider everyone's opinions. if you do this, then the solution will most likely be a better one because more voices are being listened to and more ideas are being bounced off each other to form the best possible solutions. Everyone is affected by these decisions and the Polis as a whole should get the benefits. I also agree that when you choose to ignore the voices of the minority, there is a diversity factor that is being taken out. I am not saying that the minority is going to have all the right answers, but I feel that everyone has a right to speak and be heard. These voices should at least be taken into consideration when making decisions that are going to affect them as well.
    • Flavio Guzman
      Flavio Guzman on 22 Nov 12
       
      I feel that this is sadly the truth in most of our country. Their are the few instances when these vocies are heard but never on a national level. Just ebcuase someone is in a less privilaged position doesn't mean they don't know whats best for them. In order for government to really work everyone must be heard.
  • When the self-regulation of local groups through deliberative norms and procedures fails, however, centralized methods should detect these outcomes and attempt to correct them.
    • Tavish Dunn
      Tavish Dunn on 07 Nov 11
       
      This is the strength of how accountable autonomy is supposed to function. It balances a highly centralized rule where many people or groups do not have their interests heard and decentralized rule where small factions can easily gain control and ignore the interests of others. Finding a right balance between the two extremes would decrease their respective weaknesses, allowing more representation of people's interests.
    • Tyler Coville
      Tyler Coville on 18 Nov 11
       
      I agree with tavish that the goal should be finding a middle position where we can take advantage of the pros of both while minimizing the cons.
  • In the months and years ahead, the parents and personnel of Harambee would attempt to advance their historical and cultural commitment to scholastic achievement through a variety of programs that included technology labs, prekindergarten programs, physical plant upgrading, curriculum changes, and a host of instructional innovations.
    • Tyler Coville
      Tyler Coville on 07 Nov 11
       
      I think this is a good example for other underprivileged areas to take a more active role in their communities vs simply moving out as they gain more wealth or demanding the money take more money from other areas. More can be achieved by working together and fixing what is wrong in their areas.
    • Mark Drach-Meinel
      Mark Drach-Meinel on 07 Nov 11
       
      I agree with Tyler and I think it's great that instead of blaming others for their poor initial condition, they do something about it. I see a lot of people complain about their current status but rarely do I see any sort of follow-up in trying to improve the situation. I'm glad to see that there are at least some people who do try to improve.
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 11 Nov 12
       
      I think the fact that the community saw something they wanted to change and went ahead and made it their own project is really great. We do not see that very often anymore so the fact that someone did does make me feel better about how this could happen in another community that wants the same results.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 12 Nov 12
       
      Agreed. I feel like its a big pity party, times are hard no doubt but I see more people giving up than trying to make their neighborhoods and community's better. This is great that they did what they had to.
    • Sarah Marroquin
      Sarah Marroquin on 12 Nov 12
       
      I think it is a good thing that the changed the name to give the school more value to both the community and faculty however, it doesn't change or help the school with money issues or test scores.
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 12 Nov 12
       
      This is a great idea. I think that one thing that would help this country is tailoring curriculum to what would actually make students who stop after high school have a better chance at a successful career. I read a book once that explored why schools in inner cities are so unsuccessful and basically the reason he argued is that the information and system is so irrelavent to their lives that the students do not care to invest themselves. Maybe if our education system wasn't such a one size fits all system, and if our communities would fit schools to what would make their kids successful we would be able to make many more productive citzens for the world as it is today.
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 12 Nov 12
       
      exactly. Much of what is taught in schools (especially history) is definitely tailored towards a white males. By adjusting the curriculum, you would definitely see more response from other groups.
    • Brandon Weger
      Brandon Weger on 12 Nov 12
       
      I think that it is amazing that they decided amongst themselves that they were going to overhaul a school, and bring it up to par with its practices and teachings to match the name that they gave it. It is extraordinary when a group of people can selflessly come together and achieve such a feat.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 12 Nov 12
       
      I feel like it was the ambition of the people in the community that caused such a big change. This just shows that they didn't need to live in a rich neighborhood to feel safe. The citizens themselves do have an input on the change of their situation. The power of people coming together is amazing.
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 12 Nov 12
       
      I completely agree with Justina. School systems often pressure schools to just produce high test scores, when in fact the thing that will help more people (especially in the inner city) is taking into account the curriculum that will best prepare the kids for a good future. This is where these decisions should be made, by local communities, as opposed to central planning by a federal government that has never lived in a place even similar to this.
  • ...17 more annotations...
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 07 Nov 11
       
      i am confused myself on why these twons were different than other unfortunate neighborhoods with school and crime issues. i decided it was the passion of the citizins of this town that took it to another level and could make the change that they wanted in order to benefit everyone.
  • In the months and years ahead, the parents and personnel of Harambee would attempt to advance their historical and cultural commitment to scholastic achievement through a variety of programs that included technology labs, prekindergarten programs, physical plant upgrading, curriculum changes, and a host of instructional innovations.
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 07 Nov 11
       
      Compared to other communities, tis community is workig together to better their situation rather than just their personal situations. By doing this, the whole community benefits rather than just one or two families. 
  • More ambitiously, residents sought physical improvements to make the park more useful, attractive, and inviting to legitimate users in the hope that they might drive out illegal ones.
    • Eric Henderson
      Eric Henderson on 07 Nov 11
       
      I'm not really sure how changing the makeup of the park will drive "illegal users" out because "illegal users" normally would carry out their activities during times in which there were no other people around to judge and or prevent their behavior. Changing the park makeup would probably just change the timeslots that illegal users were at that specific park.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 07 Nov 11
       
      I agree but I feel that if a public place such as this one becomes commonly used for legitimate purposes it does have an dissuading affect on criminal use. A criminal is less likely to do the drug deals in the park if they know there a high chance that someone will see them, and if the park is used all day with occasional users at night, it makes it difficult to find a "timeslot" where the location is secure. I'm not fully disagreeing with you, but I am saying there is more to it. 
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree. I also think that this example connects to the one before in the sense that the community is taking the initiative to fix issues they feel strongly about and make it a better, safer place.  I think it is admirable how the residents cooperate with the police department and I think it will definitely drive the crime rate in the park down 
  • Finally, accountable autonomy potentially diffuses successful innovations quite rapidly to enable a kind of system-wide learning
  • In the crucial areas of public education and policing, the CPS and CPD reforms advance the central tenet of participatory democracy: that people should have substantial and equal opportunities to participate directly in decisions that affect them
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 10 Nov 12
       
      I find this very interesting as I think that this ia a good strategy. The strategy allows ordinary people voice their opinions about certain situations like the park or the school situations and actually know that their voices and opinions were heard. Where in other cities, when you call or say something and its not in a meeting form to be heard and discussed you may feel like it is just brushed under the rug. I think this is a great strategy like a town meeting in a way as it really is about helping the people and what affects them.
  • who actually participates? As with any scheme for civic engagement and direct democracy, success depend upon the character of actual participation.
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 11 Nov 12
       
      When discussing all the great things a participatory democracy has to offer, we forget that not all neighborhoods are like Harambee and Lakeview. In other neighborhoods it is almost certain that not everybody is going to participate. The results are going to depend on those who do participate, but the results will affect the community as a whole. 
  • Liabilities such as parochialism, lack of expertise, and resource constraints may impair the problem-solving and administrative capabilities of local organizations relative to centralized forms.
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 11 Nov 12
       
      Unfortunately, these liabilities inhibit real progress of organizations. It does not take very many of these bureaucratic mazes, (A.K.A. liabilities) to severely override the possible accomplishments of an organization's goal.
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree and unfortunately its true.  A lot more can get done without these "mazes" as you said.  We can be so progressive at times but at others, its near impossible to progress
  • Changing a name, of course, cannot itself raise test scores, make classes more orderly, build classrooms, or increase children's readiness for middle and high school
    • elliott reyes
      elliott reyes on 11 Nov 12
       
      by changing a name of the school offcourse your not going to change the way the students test score will go up, but it will sure motivate kids especially since the majority are black and they name the school HARAMBEE. AND SINCE PEOPLE WERE trying to attempt to advance their programs.
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 12 Nov 12
       
      It is true that changing the name will not automatically raise test scores or increase a child's readiness for future instruction. However it will help just a little. I agree with Elliott maybe a simple name change will not only motivate the kids a little more but perhaps the teachers as well.
    • Caitlin Fransen
      Caitlin Fransen on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree, with both the staments above along with what the article says about not improving test score etc by simply just changing the name. But it may result in further motivation that in time will benefit and help improve test scores. It is just not going to happen right away, it will take some time. 
  • These initiatives transformed the CPD and the CPS into the most participatory-democratic public organizations of their kind in any large American city.
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 11 Nov 12
       
      Another reason why I feel that the CPD and CPS were so praised was because of their willingness to listen to their constituents. The people of the cities voiced their concerns, and by having the town government listen, they were able to accomplish progress and set a tone and standard for their schools and neighborhoods. 
    • Benjamin Chavez II
      Benjamin Chavez II on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree with Tatiana; in addition to that, every action was for the most part efficient because there was no opposing force, (drug dealers, etc.) backing up there case (needing the money or something).
    • Kayla Sawoski
      Kayla Sawoski on 12 Nov 12
       
      This relates a lot to the Interest's chapter of what Stone is trying to say. We all can come together with our one specific interest and make an impact. The staff and community in this case, wanted the school to improve so they came up with strategies to make this  effective. Working together helped get their message out for people to see.  
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 12 Nov 12
       
      It is obviously a more effective way to get things done by forming group as more people can not only get things done faster, but also get the word out there quicker. The staff and community have set two solid components out to help solve their problem it just takes everyone collaboration to make it happen.
    • Caitlin Scott
      Caitlin Scott on 12 Nov 12
       
      I think the best way to teach is to reach the students on a level they will understand.  If changing the curriculum to gear it towards issues that affect the students then I believe they will be more receptive to the learning environment, this would in turn increase the academics of a school.
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 12 Nov 12
       
      It makes sense that the group would be more effective at watching the park than the individual.  along wit hthe reasons that Devon stated there are more eyes on the same park. The more people watching the park, the more chance there is for someone to spot illicit or sketch activity.  These steps should be implemented in more places where there is a high level of illegal activity going on.
  • monthly open meetings with residents to discuss neighborhood safety issues. In these sessions, police and residents jointly select priority public safety issues and develop wide-ranging strategies to address them.
    • Brandon White
      Brandon White on 12 Nov 12
       
      The idea of public meetings with police officers is an interesting ones. In Los Angeles, the only real "public" meetings are ones where officers give press conferences and then take a few questions after they are done speaking. But the idea of a dialogue between the police and normal citizens in a respectful matter is one that I think might work. People can talk about the issues they see relevant, and police can defend or re-invent themselves to meet some of the needs of the citizens (of course, not completely meet them; there will always be issues). I would love to see such a program used with the LAPD here in California. 
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree with what Brandon was saying. Having personal meetings between regular citizens and officers would be very effective. Connective discussions should be held over press conferences. That would bring out more of what the citizens have to say in order for the police to enforce a more secure, trustworthy community.
  • When factions inside a group dominate or paralyze planning processes, outsiders can step in to break through jams and thus enable the group to better accomplish its ends. When the indolence of these groups results in subpar performance, external interventions and sanctions can transform license to innovation and problem-solving.
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 12 Nov 12
       
      This is exactly the idea of democracy, but I think the application falls short in that the "external interventions" view the groups as inhibitors to their plans instead of relying on these groups for guidance in creating the best policies. Elected officials of course want to please their constituents, but I feel the political field is jading when it comes to what is truly important. Instead of the importance of this democracy being fairness and creating the best for the people, the importance lies within who can play the best game and stay in power. The power triangle is upside down with the people having the littlest power in regards to being able to implement what is best for their community.
  • These community-policing arrangements form the institutional structure through which residents, police, city officials, and non-profit organizations rebuilt Lakeville's dilapidated park. Beat meetings created new spaces in which police and residents could together and develop a range of solutions addressing various problems at the park.
    • Tori Mayeda
      Tori Mayeda on 12 Nov 12
       
      i think it's great that everyone came together to help rebuild the park. I'm not sure if the police and residents would be able to come to an agreement about solutions for the park. 
    • Meghann Ellis
      Meghann Ellis on 12 Nov 12
       
      I agree with Tori that it is great that everyone is coming together for the sole purpose of the park but in reality not everyone is going to get together.  Here each person participating has a different perspective in which they view the park itself. The policemen and the residents would have different views and so would the non-profit organizations. In the end they all aren't going to come to one conclusion and to agree on everything which can cause problems.
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 12 Nov 12
       
      I think the examples of Harambee middle school and the community park are excellent illustrations of how, when you bring government down to more local levels, more is able to be accomplished. Obviously, this won't work for everything, but for many government actions, the closer the decision is to the people it affects, the more relevant and efficient it will be. Local governments are, in general, in a better position to understand the needs of the citizens in that area. Bringing the citizens in on the decisions and giving them more say in how things are done enables local governments to respond to the people's immediate needs and to take into account the complexities of their unique situation. National and state governments are obviously necessary, but I think that government would be far more efficient if more power was given to local governments and the people they represent.
    • Tori Mayeda
      Tori Mayeda on 12 Nov 12
       
      I also agree that it's great to see that they were able to get through the obstacles and improve their school 
    • Phillip Delgado
      Phillip Delgado on 12 Nov 12
       
      The remodeling the park was a good idea. The way to beat the gang problem was spot on. They got rid of their privacy, therefor the gang members left because they had to privacy. This would not work in all areas. A gang filled area might just over take the new park, because the people who live there priorities are different.
  • They began with simple measures such as trimming tall trees to make the park's interior visible from the stree
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 12 Nov 12
       
      Trimming the trees was a smart and affordable way to help people see what was being done in the park. The criminals in the park probably had no idea the city was trimming the trees so they could see what was going on.  
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 12 Nov 12
       
      I also feel like this was a wise decision as Jeffrey said, because it was more of an affordable way to open up the park and have it look more accessible. Plus, this would help the crime rate lessen because crimes seem to occur when less people are around than with more. So, this simple action would prevent criminal activity efficiently.
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 12 Nov 12
       
      Trimming the trees was a smart and affordable way to help people see what was being done in the park. The criminals in the park probably had no idea the city was trimming the trees so they could see what was going on.  
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 12 Nov 12
       
      Trimming the trees was a smart and affordable way to help people see what was being done in the park. The criminals in the park probably had no idea the city was trimming the trees so they could see what was going on.  
    • Kim H
      Kim H on 30 Nov 12
       
      This really was an ingenious way to combat the criminal activity that was happening. Trimming trees is not only a cost effective way to handle the situation, but it benefits the residents of the area by beautifying the park and lowering the amount of criminal activity. 
  • cj_woldanski on 07 Nov 11
     
    Minorities from low income areas can have good ideas but getting them started takes a lot more time and effort than the when some powerful people want to do something. If the minority community really wants to get something done then they have to really step up their game and get the word out to the public. Influencing public opinion is the best way for change for a policy or in the community.
  • ...2 more comments...
  • Mitchell Burris on 07 Nov 11
     
    It seems to me that a lot of effort is made to make sure that the voice of minorities is accounted for. Granted this isn't always straight from the mouths of the minorities in question but consideration is still given. There are a vast many different groups in America that could fall under the "minority" denomination and it is impossible to hear all of them. We often bend over backwards to accommodate some minority while ignoring the interest of the greater whole.
  • Tyler Schnorf on 11 Nov 12
     
    This article definately made me stop to think about how good we all have it here in America. Yes, we have our own problems with our education system, but at least we have a solid base of educating our citizens. We complain sometimes on how much of a hassel school is and how inconvienient it is at times, but just think if we were never able to have the opportunity. Our society would be completely different and the government could control us completely.
  • Emily Shandorf on 12 Nov 12
     
    the ones that are poor, don't have that much a stay, but the wealty ones do. It is like the pyramid, the ones on top are the people that have power/wealthy and can afford sending their children in a good environment and school, while at the end of the pyramind, there are the poor ones that struggle enough, just to see their children get a sort of education. Diversity is also a big part of the community, more people that are together will figure out a better solution, while the ones that think they are superior, won't succeed as well as they should of.
  • Tyler Schnorf on 13 Nov 12
     
    Minorities have way more influence than people think, especially in California. The California Dream Act is proof that minorities are not only influencial, but productive. They can actually get things done in the world of policy. Yes, not all minorities are as influencial as the ones is California, but they are proof that things can get done as a minority
Sabryna Aylard

Tavish's Questions on Inducements (Discussion for November 11) - 22 views

I feel inducements are beneficial when the people only participate in these behavioral changes just for the inducement. They need to have a interest or desire to want the behavioral change. For ins...

question inducements discussion November 3

started by Tavish Dunn on 10 Nov 11 7 follow-ups, last by Sabryna Aylard on 12 Nov 11
Amanda Garcia

What Makes Us Happy? - Joshua Wolf Shenk - The Atlantic - 0 views

www.theatlantic.com/...307439

shared by Amanda Garcia on 21 Sep 12 - No Cached
  • Your wife had a cancer scare
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 21 Sep 12
       
      Why does it have to be from a guys point of view?
    • Edmund Garrett
      Edmund Garrett on 23 Sep 12
       
      It doesn't. You could easily switch the POV if you wanted to.
    • elliott reyes
      elliott reyes on 24 Sep 12
       
      why does it have to be from a guys point of view someone answer
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 24 Sep 12
       
      it could be from a womans point of view, a woman with a wife.
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 24 Sep 12
       
      The study is from a man's point of view (as all of the people studied were male). So of course the case they are sighting will be from a man's point of view.
  • funders expect results quickly
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 21 Sep 12
       
      Impatient
  • From their days of bull sessions in Cambridge to their active duty in World War II, through marriages and divorces, professional advancement and collapse—and now well into retirement—the men have submitted to regular medical exams, taken psychological tests, returned questionnaires, and sat for interviews
    • Sarah Marroquin
      Sarah Marroquin on 22 Sep 12
       
      This sounds like a science ficiton movie that is to come in the near future... It also seems that this is an interesting study, but time consuming to the point where the researcher, themselves, do not have a life of their own.
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 24 Sep 12
       
      I agree, it also seems like an awful amount of research, just to find the secrets of the good life. 
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 24 Sep 12
       
      I wonder if anyone got paid from this study
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 24 Sep 12
       
      But to everyone, the 'good life' is different. So, it is probable that the researchers were performing all of these methods of research to explore every possibility there is to achieve the 'good life'. Plus, it seems like finding the secrets of the 'good life' is like finding the meaning of life. There are so many things and paths to take until one discovers all the secrets to what he/she were looking for.
    • Alexa Datuin
      Alexa Datuin on 24 Sep 12
       
      I definitely agree with Shannon. We are raised in a world where we create and find our own ideas, especially when it comes to happiness. We have our own opinions on what it means to have a great life and to be happy with it.
    • Justina Cooney
      Justina Cooney on 24 Sep 12
       
      This article was so interesting to me because he got to really understand so many life stories. There is no way of really understanding happiness unless you are a fly on the wall and you are able to see the end result from all the ups and downs that life throws at us. When I think about what makes people happy I do agree with his main conclusion but I also understand and agree with some of my peers that the "good life" is different for everyone. With that being said I wonder how we can alter public policy to facilitate peoples road to happiness based on the findings from this study,
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • He defined normal as “that combination of sentiments and physiological factors which in toto is commonly interpreted as successful living.”
    • Kayla Sawoski
      Kayla Sawoski on 22 Sep 12
       
      I don't think there is such a thing as "normal". There is no true definition. To one person, "normal" may mean something completely different than another person's definition. We may look at "normal" as a way everybody should think or act, however, what is "normal"?? I think everyone has different opinions of what "normal" is. 
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 22 Sep 12
       
      This also applies to people that think they are "weird". To some "weird" has become the new "normal". It's all relative and depends on perspective.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 22 Sep 12
       
      I agree with that above that normal cannot be defined. People are different in their ways and in their views. The view of being normal is all about perception and who has the right to say who is normal and who is not. Being normal is all about the point of view.
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 23 Sep 12
       
      I disagree with the statement that normal is considered the common term for successful living. So is everyone who is successful normal? Steve Jobs was very successful, but I don't think wearing a black turtle neck and jeans every day would be the common definition of normal apparel. Normality is a matter of self perception and everyone lives by their own standards. Thus, I don't think that there can be a uniform definition of the term "normal."  
    • Ashley Mehrens
      Ashley Mehrens on 23 Sep 12
       
      I agree with previous comments that normality depends on the point of view. What someone may think is normal others may think its weird. To define normal would have to include that it changes for different people. This definition does not include that. In response to Cameron, I totally agree. For the most part successful people arent the "normal" ones. To become successful one must try something new and think outside of the box. Most successful people were deemed crazy in the first stages of their development. For example when Walt Disney started Disneyland in the middle of orange groves, people thought he was wasting his time and money. Now Disneyland is a would renowned theme park.
    • Kelsey Fratello
      Kelsey Fratello on 24 Sep 12
       
      I also agree with Cameron that there isn't a "uniform definition of the term 'normal'". We all have our own ways of determining what we feel is "normal"; but that's the thing, it's our own opinion. I do think it was good that they included what their definition of "normal" was so that we could see the type of males they used in their study. If they left this little detail out, I think this issue of "normal" would have become a bigger deal than the study. 
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 24 Sep 12
       
      But can't "normal" also be a blanket term for "socially common"? While I do agree that normality is very much based on perspective from person to person, I would think for the sake of this article, "normal" would define that which is common and regularly occurring. I don't know maybe that's just me.
  • Exhaustive medical exams noted everything from major organ function, to the measure of lactic acid after five minutes on a treadmill, to the size of the “lip seam” and the hanging length of the scrotum. Using a new test called the electroencephalograph, the study measured the electrical activity in the brain, and sought to deduce character from the squiggles.
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 23 Sep 12
       
      This is an extremely detailed research and I wonder what all of these small aspects have to do with the overall purpose about happiness.
    • Edmund Garrett
      Edmund Garrett on 23 Sep 12
       
      Yes it is interesting, in which they try to scientifically or almost mathematically define human emotion. For happiness is a human emotion such as love. And for many years I have believed that those things can not be defined by numbers.
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 24 Sep 12
       
      It's a little ridiculous in my opinion to do such thorough research about pursuing happiness and determining the length of life. A person who could get nothing to everything wouldn't be happy if they are empty inside. I believe love and the people around you in your life make happiness. Also your own ability to be willing to achieve happiness and well-being. Those I believe are the main factors to true life-long happiness.
  • measured them from every conceivable angle and with every available scientific tool.
    • Devin Milligan
      Devin Milligan on 24 Sep 12
       
      I don't think you can really measure someones happiness with scientific tools and with data. How do you measure happiness with tools?
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 24 Sep 12
       
      You would have to set a standard of happiness in order to measure it. Every person would have a different criteria that would measure their happiness.
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 24 Sep 12
       
      Is there a scientific tool to measure happiness? Do you Really need so many people to find out if someone is happy? Why not just ask the test group if they are happy or not? This seems like an extensive study to find out something seemingly simple.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 24 Sep 12
       
      I suppose you could use certain methods or questions to determine someones level or happiness. simply asking them if there happy or not wouldn't help because like many of us when were asked how were doing we say good (even if were bad). I agree with all of you though, scientific tools do seem silly and inaccurate.
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 24 Sep 12
       
      Its hard to measure someones happiness in general. Everyone is different, there is no real defined method.
  • , a kind of whole-body phrenology based on the premise that stock character types could be seen from body proportions
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 24 Sep 12
       
      It seems that they could judge these men's overall happiness through their physical appearance as well. This really is an intense breakdown of the body physically to see if it is possible to judge joy through purely the body
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 24 Sep 12
       
      I also think that this is an odd way to test a man's happiness considering even the most unattractive man can find happiness through other ways besides their looks. 
    • Finn Sukkestad
      Finn Sukkestad on 24 Sep 12
       
      i like the direction of the video how he talks about why getting old isn't as scary as everyone thinks it is.  That being old can be just as much but different fun as being young.  I cant say that after this I am looking forward to being 60 but I can say that I can understand not wanting to be sitting there thinking about how boring it is when the time comes but rather find the little things in life that really make you happy.
    • Brandon Weger
      Brandon Weger on 24 Sep 12
       
      I think that a lot of people are scared about getting old, mostly because they are afraid of the challenges that it may present, it's another thing in the world of the unknown... and thats one of the scariest things in the world in my opinion. I think that we just forget that life can still be a lot of fun when you get older
    • sahalfarah
      sahalfarah on 24 Sep 12
       
      I agree with Brandon. People are generally scared of getting older because they assume that it means that they won't be able to do everything they can do now. To an extent that's true, but there is still a lot you can do at an older age. 
  • wn life has been so woven into the study—and the study has become such a creature of his mind—that neit
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 24 Sep 12
       
      I think this is kind of interesting. The fact that he gave so much of his life to study others life it seems like a little bit of a waste, even if it is for science.
  • dividing the body up into symptoms and diseases—and viewing it through the lenses of a hundred micro-specialties—could never shed light on the urgent question of how, on the whole, to live well
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 24 Sep 12
       
      I love this idea of studying how to maintain happiness. Much emphasis is put on mental "sickness" or and there seems to be a negative stigma associated with that. Yes, some people fall into illness because of uncontrollable cause, and require therapy. Therefore, seeing a therapist means that there is something wrong with you to where you can't deal with your problems yourself. The idea of focusing more so on helping people maintain happiness and good standing in their lives is almost common sense. Prevention is key. Giving people tools to succeed is essential to the well being of someones life. Of course you can argue that people learn from their mistakes and from getting up after they have been knocked down. That is just life. I personally feel that many times, people are guessing in life and there is no clear cut path. By focusing on how to live well, could potentially shape society in good ways. There is no right way to live well, but if everyone is on the pursuit of their own happiness, overall we might live in a more accepting and fluid society.
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 24 Sep 12
       
      i find it interesting that the guy who created this foundation had like no life outside of his foundation life.  It is like his personal life and his life with the foundation merged ad only created one life.
  • They stripped naked so that every dimension of their bodies could be measured for “anthropometric” analysis
    • Amanda Garcia
      Amanda Garcia on 25 Sep 12
       
      It makes me wonder if this at all changed how the men in the study lived out their lives, and if they would have done anything differently had they not been a part of it. It had to have affected them in someway, knowing that they would be analysed and evaluated throughout their entire lives. That is no normal way to live. And so it would seem to me that no truly normal conclusions could be drawn. They would at the very least be askew and affected.  
  • gina Hogrefe on 23 Sep 12
     
    What I got out of this longitude study "What Makes us Happy" article is that happiness comes not from tangibles but the non-tangibles in our lives.
  • Carissa Faulk on 24 Sep 12
     
    I find it interesting that they would put so much effort into discovering the secrets to the "good life" when the very definition of that phrase will change depending on who you ask, and the methods of obtaining the good life will be different depending on what it is you want from life.
Joette Carini

Question on "How Framing Influences Citizen Understanding of Public Issues" - 18 views

I really like your answer... don't be surprised if i pick on you in class during my discussion. Thank you!

started by Joette Carini on 28 Sep 11 2 follow-ups, last by Joette Carini on 30 Sep 11
Sean McCarthy

Uzodinma Iweala - Stop Trying To 'Save' Africa - 3 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2007071301714.html

shared by Sean McCarthy on 04 Oct 11 - Cached
  • Why do the media frequently refer to African countries as having been "granted independence from their colonial masters," as opposed to having fought and shed blood for their freedom? Why do Angelina Jolie and Bono receive overwhelming attention for their work in Africa while Nwankwo Kanu or Dikembe Mutombo, Africans both, are hardly ever mentioned?
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 04 Oct 11
       
      Now this is the question. It is not about why Americans are helping Africa, but it is about who are being highlighted as the faces of saving Africa. This is partly the media's fault, but it is also a guilt trip of Americans becasue of previous slavery and racism towards African Americans. Highlighting these people is a way to show reparations and the new and improve America. To show how white people are helping the poor Africans. However, this is unfortunate because some of these people do these things out of the kindness of their heart and not for the public hype. There is nothing wrong with helping those in a less fortunate space. Personally, I LOVE brangelina :)..Nevertheless, they are not the only ones helping those in Africa and Africans are not the only people who need help.
    • Matt Nolan
      Matt Nolan on 04 Oct 11
       
      In today's society everything is about celebrities and what they do for the world. Bono and Angelina Jolie are an example of white people helping the poor Africans. I completely agree with Felicia on this one, people don't want to see someone of the same race who is just as poor trying to help someone, people want to see rich celebrities giving a helping hand because it motivates the people of the United States and around the world to try and help anyway they can. The celebrities are symbols of peace and bring the people together.
    • Kaitlyn Guilbeaux
      Kaitlyn Guilbeaux on 04 Oct 11
       
      I agree with Felecia that subconsciously, perhaps the media is placing the spotlight, and the 'halo', upon Bono and Angelina as a way to make up for the way that white people in the past have treated African Americans.
    • Tavish Dunn
      Tavish Dunn on 05 Oct 11
       
      I agree with Felecia's statement. Celebrities are highlighted as the ones trying to "save" Africa as a way of generating hype for the issue, whether they are helping out of kindness or the desire for more fame. In addition to using this as a way for people to get rid of their feelings of guilt, people are motivated to give because they have placed celebrities on a pedestal. Many people give to a specific cause because they want to be like the celebrities they idolize and follow a trend rather than showing feelings of true kindness.
    • Eric Arbuckle
      Eric Arbuckle on 05 Oct 11
       
      I agree with Felecia too!
    • Xochitl Cruz
      Xochitl Cruz on 05 Oct 11
       
      I agree with you Felicia. I feel that the focus is on people who are not African helping out, for the reasons you and others have pointed out. These famous celebrities get all this media for doing something with a country in need. However, the people who pay out of their own salaries to help everyone else around them, gets nothing, those people I feel are the ones really doing this for personal gain
    • anonymous
      anonymous on 05 Oct 11
       
      Felicia definitely hit the nail on the head here. I agree, and I find it a little bit unfortunate that Africa has gained the image of this disease ridden poverty stricken place due to the focus on celebrities and what they've done for this country. The media has a huge impact upon any movement or form of popular culture today, and I think the author makes a good point at the end when he states that Africa is framed as this place that needs "saving." Others feel sorry for Africa because of it, and a big deal is made of helping and being Africa's hero really, communication and maybe some alliances with other countries would be much more effective in helping Africa to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty it's been in since apartheid.
    • steve santos
      steve santos on 05 Oct 11
       
      The framing heuristics of the hype of the celebrity influence of thinking celebrities are the vital sense of sincerity in actually trying to help where marketing typically is a guilt trip to advocate a cause for the sake of sales wether than the ideal is truly advocated. The severity of the heart of africa is drawn to be black and diseased where there are certain aspects of civility that africa actually has but is undermined to the sense of racial diversity.
    • chelseaedgerley
      chelseaedgerley on 12 Oct 12
       
      Honestly its all part of politics.For decades the USA had gone back and forth on US policy and whether or not to intervene. Its unfortunate that Africans have this stigma attached to them as dying, and unable to help themselves at all. However stars and other white people have raised/donated mission to help them. I understand that white are portraying them a certain way but a lot of good have been done for those people.Media driven or not, I believe their is a true passion in most people to help people in Africa. Some intention may be dishonest but you can focus on the negative when trying to save lives.
  • It seems that these days, wracked by guilt at the humanitarian crisis it has created in the Middle East, the West has turned to Africa for redemption.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 04 Oct 11
       
      Oh, how much I love this statement! Truly selflessness is a flag we all fly, as we shout out about our altruism, in order to fulfill the selfish desire for recognition, and in this case, rectification.
    • Eric Henderson
      Eric Henderson on 05 Oct 11
       
      This is truely a good statement, since I do believe that this is very true. Westernized countries just plain feel guilty about the situation in the Middle East, therefore they took to trying to "save" Africa to clear their guilt.
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 05 Oct 11
       
      I do think a lot of people just do things like this to make themselves feel better but I think it's more related to them trying to justify the way they live. How much we have compared to others. I've never really thought of it in relation to the Middle East, I don't think I see the connection.
    • Joette Carini
      Joette Carini on 05 Oct 11
       
      I think that this could be attributed to a general trait that Western societies have in general... people need to help other people in order to, essentially, feel good about themselves. Yes, people may feel guilty about other situations, but I think that generally people need to do something to make themselves feel better, and that something, in this situation, tends to be "saving" Africa.
    • Eric Arbuckle
      Eric Arbuckle on 05 Oct 11
       
      I have to comment, though it humors me you believe we are responsible for the middle east situation, I am not surprised. What is the "situation" in the middle east? How did we get there? What kind of beliefs do the radical Muslims have? And if we "messed" up the middle east and if it's our place to feel guilty, what was it like before?
    • Eric Arbuckle
      Eric Arbuckle on 05 Oct 11
       
      I have to agree with Sarah and Joette on this.
    • Tyler Coville
      Tyler Coville on 05 Oct 11
       
      If we are reasonable for the situation in the middle east who says we are not responsible for the situation in africa. We have continued to pour more money to dictators to get resources like diamonds. Which they use to buy more weapons to repress the people. We then give money for aid to these communities but they have to either go through the dictator or the dictator himself just posts a heavy tax when the currency is converted to the local currency (which he has a law in place to require)
    • sahalfarah
      sahalfarah on 12 Oct 12
       
      This statement speaks so true to all Americans because even they can honestly say that we're all guilty of this. Whether it is the government or us as individuals, people do good things to feel good about themselves. 
    • Alexa Datuin
      Alexa Datuin on 12 Oct 12
       
      This is the epitome of what America had become. Actions to "help" others are taken out of personal guilt. The reasoning behind helping others, especially others, has lost meaning. It's as though people justify lending hand to others is because it's what they are supposed to do, rather than really wanting to.
    • Karina DaSilva
      Karina DaSilva on 12 Oct 12
       
      I think this is also an example of the "white savior" mentality that a lot of people have, without even knowing.  Africa and its inhabitants are not seen as equals, but as things that could be saved with westernization. It's racism in a very subtle, but real, form. 
    • Devin Milligan
      Devin Milligan on 12 Oct 12
       
      Everyone wants to help save africa, but there are so many other problems in other countries too. Like the drug war in mexico. Africa is not the only country in need. In fact there is still a lot to do in our own country to help others.
  • as emaciated as those they want to help.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 04 Oct 11
       
      Couldn't help but giggle at this.
    • Eric Henderson
      Eric Henderson on 05 Oct 11
       
      haha me too, very interesting statement
  • ...20 more annotations...
  • The relationship between the West and Africa is no longer based on openly racist beliefs, but such articles are reminiscent of reports from the heyday of European colonialism, when missionaries were sent to Africa to introduce us to education, Jesus Christ and "civilization."
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 04 Oct 11
       
      It is sad really. The West feels that it needs to industrialize, modernize, and stabilize developing nations - a goal which is objectively not plausible - and there is a definet focus on Africa. While many other developing nations receive aid, African countries are singled out and lumped into one group of "african", where s south east asian countries for example would be listed by their specific names. Africa is a large continent with a VAST array of cultures, languages, races, and governments. The nations of Africa differ greatly in their levels of modernity, and to assume that the governments of Africa are corrupt or unable to fix their domestic problems, is in a subtle way, racist and ethnocentric.
  • Every time a Hollywood director shoots a film about Africa that features a Western protagonist, I shake my head -- because Africans, real people though we may be, are used as props in the West's fantasy of itself
    • Jonathan Omokawa
      Jonathan Omokawa on 05 Oct 11
       
      There is no doubt that Hollywood does tend to exploit people. But then again, what flashy business doesn't?
    • Courtney Sabile
      Courtney Sabile on 12 Oct 12
       
      I agree with this statement. The issues pressing onto Africa with starvation and warfare are used as simply entertainment background for cinema. Sure there is always a message with topics like this. Aid is important, but the pop culture attention drawing to Africa makes it seems like nothing is being solved at all.
  • There is no African, myself included, who does not appreciate the help of the wider world, but we do question whether aid is genuine or given in the spirit of affirming one's cultural superiority. My mood is dampened every time I attend a benefit whose host runs through a litany of African disasters before presenting a (usually) wealthy, white person, who often proceeds to list the things he or she has done for the poor, starving Africans.
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 05 Oct 11
       
      Every time i see an ad or commercial about the white celebrities trying to "help Africa" a thought like this goes through my mind. I highly doubt that a celebrity with such high ratings in today's society truly wants to save Africa's poverty or starving people. I feel as if they do it more for the social attention and positive reputation rather than for their souls and well being.
    • Jonathan Omokawa
      Jonathan Omokawa on 05 Oct 11
       
      I would not go so far as to say that all celebrities vie for attention by doing the "help Africa" stuff, but I would agree that a large majority do it. I don't really feel it is asserting cultural superiority or dominance as just being selfish in their own right.
    • Alexis Schomer
      Alexis Schomer on 11 Oct 12
       
      I think it's really interesting how charity has become a social appeal. People don't donate because they want to help out, they donate because other people will think higher of them. A point this article is trying to make is that the publicity of "helping" is so overwhelming it almost takes away from the action itself. 
    • khampton44
      khampton44 on 12 Oct 12
       
      I really agree with the above statement that people help now because they feel like everyone is and not because they are really into the cause and want to help. I think this is also why so many stars have their own foundation, they feel like more people have them then people who do not.
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 12 Oct 12
       
      Does it really matter what inspires the help? As long as the people that need help get help that's what is most important. Help is help no matter how you look at it or the reasons behind it. 
    • Tori Mayeda
      Tori Mayeda on 12 Oct 12
       
      i think that it does matter. I don't think the people want others to pity them. Yes, they are receiving help but it is demeaning if people are going to help and have no passion for it. "here, take this because it will make me look good and i want to follow the trend." i don't think anyone would feel very good about getting that. 
    • Brandon White
      Brandon White on 12 Oct 12
       
      The basic premise that the author appears to be making is that of the egoism that we as "first-worlders" have in regards to Africa. The author feels that we do not help Africa typically out of genuine want to see good happen. but out of our own want to feel good about ourselves and have other perceive us as good people. Sometimes even when I do "good" things, I wonder if this is the case. Especially when I was applying for college. Did I do 200 hours of community service out of the goodness of my heart, or the want to get into a good college? The truth may lie somewhere in-between. 
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 12 Oct 12
       
      It is obviously a bit of both but I think how the media plays it, it leads us to lean towards the cultural superiority
    • Benjamin Chavez II
      Benjamin Chavez II on 12 Oct 12
       
      I understand how his "mood is dampened".  I can't stand when people feel they must talk about how amazing they are and what they have done. Whenever people do that it becomes evident that the reason they did whatever they did was to acquire more attention from others. "You have to speak to be heard, but sometimes you have to be silent to be appreciated".
  • True to form, the Western media reported on the violence but not on the humanitarian work the state and local governments -- without much international help -- did for the survivors. Social workers spent their time and in many cases their own salaries to care for their compatriots. These are the people saving Africa, and others like them across the continent get no credit for their work.
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 05 Oct 11
       
      I think this is the main point of the article
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 05 Oct 11
       
      But isn't that the point, these people are helping just to help and the other people are often helping to gain media attention.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 11 Oct 12
       
      I would have to agree with this point of the article as the media will portray what they want the people to focus on. If the media does not believe that certain aspects of a situation will grab the people's attention then they will not show it, even though that point could be significant in pointing out the true heroes and their actions. I find this unfortunate as the article mentioned earlier that the media portrays celebrities that help, but why not the ordinary people, especially those of Africa. The media should really get to focus on the true aspects of a situation.
    • Mark Drach-Meinel
      Mark Drach-Meinel on 05 Oct 11
       
      I think it's important to note that all the media cares about is the bad things that happen. They only report how Africa needs to be saved but there is no information of all the good that is being done right now.
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 05 Oct 11
       
      i agree that the media only focuses on what they want us to see, not everything in africa is as terrible as the media may portray it to be. yes situations in other countries are extremely hostile but the media tends to focus and just the negative to gain sympathy and attention to that subject. the opinions are then skewed.
  • a sexy,
    • georgenasr
      georgenasr on 11 Oct 12
       
      Something about using this word doesn't seem appropriate in the context of people who are active. Whenever a writer uses this word, depending on its context, I usually think less of the author. 
    • Caitlin Fransen
      Caitlin Fransen on 12 Oct 12
       
      I dont understand why this word is used in this article, it doesn't seem to fit. I agree with the above person it makes me think less of the author. 
    • Shannon Wirawan
      Shannon Wirawan on 12 Oct 12
       
      I feel like this word was used in this article to represent the current generation. Our current generation is basically to the extent that sex sells. So the author was just probably trying to make it known. I think the word, 'sexy' also had to do with the fact that the author was talking about celebrities in relation to the main topic.
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 12 Oct 12
       
      I also agree that this was a reasonable use of the word. The lovely irrational citizens of America are much more likely to get behind something that's trendy and "sexy". And that's exactly what the author is calling us out on. Many people arent (perhaps subconsciously) 'helping' out Africa out of humanitarian love, but because it has become trendy lately. you see "sexy" people helping out kids in Africa, and you want to be "sexy" like them.. I've done a terrible job explaining the use of this word, but hopefully y'all get what I'm trying to get at.
  • stereotype of Africa as a black hole of disease and death.
    • georgenasr
      georgenasr on 11 Oct 12
       
      See, this is one of the problems with widepread media campaigns... they often give people the wrong idea about what is really happening and what is the real state of people. It won't be easy to integrate into campaigns, but people need to be aware of the big picture, not just segments of it. 
    • Caitlin Fransen
      Caitlin Fransen on 12 Oct 12
       
      I sometime catch myself falling into this trap as well, I get convinced by the media campaigns that africa is just filled with disease and starving people. 
    • Nicolas Bianchi
      Nicolas Bianchi on 12 Oct 12
       
      This is definitely a problem with media.  Obviously not all of Africa is as bad as we make it and it leads all of us to believe that everyone needs help.  It paints a different picture than what is actually going on.
    • Meghann Ellis
      Meghann Ellis on 12 Oct 12
       
      Media blinds us from seeing the actual problem going on in Africa. I do find myself believing that these campaigns are true. The only focus on certain things that attract us to think the worst. This is a major problem in the social media campaigns
    • Ashley Mehrens
      Ashley Mehrens on 12 Oct 12
       
      I think that the major problem with these ad campaigns is that they only show poor run down villages. The towns that have actual success in their businesses are never shown. The play to society's emotions to raise revenues, which may or may not be helping. Although I'm sure there is corruption in Africa, the West may be trying a bit too hard to fix the problems. Social media leads society into believing they need to make a change radically, when a gradual change is probably going to help more. 
  • Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 11 Oct 12
       
      This statement could very well be true and if our country, along with others do not give them a chance how will we ever know if they can stand by themselves with good relations. I believe that it is just hard for us Americans to realize this point because we are a country that is used to helping when we believe someone needs it and it is hard to back off if you have seen they are in trouble.
    • Tatiana McCuaig
      Tatiana McCuaig on 11 Oct 12
       
      I see where African is coming from, with all progress the western world sees as coming from powerful nations, when really there is quality work being done from the people of the nation themselves. If the western world keeps on crediting themselves for the progress made, it makes them feel like they have done all the work and makes them feel better about themselves for doing such quality humanitarian work. Though humanitarian work is absolutely helpful, more note should be taken to the work being done by the people themselves. 
    • Hayley Jensen
      Hayley Jensen on 12 Oct 12
       
      This is an interesting point. Maybe instead of trying to emulate the suffering of Africans, we can talk about the power they possess. By empowering the population, by providing life-sustaining support but not expecting glory in return, and by identifying African citizens as capable citizens of the world instead of a helpless population reliant on our generosity, the world will gain a bigger respect for Africa and its citizens will tap into this unprecedented growth.
  • pick out children to adopt in much the same way my friends and I in New York take the subway to the pound to adopt stray dogs.
    • Finn Sukkestad
      Finn Sukkestad on 11 Oct 12
       
      This really illustrates the majority of the college liberals who say they want to save africa, I think that if we just gave the same sympathy that we give to africa to the destitute in our own country then more people would help because it would  bring that same fame and self fulfillment as someone who is making a difference for someone.
    • Sarah Marroquin
      Sarah Marroquin on 12 Oct 12
       
      I don't think that this statement is really appropriate for the author to say. I also think that if they are trying to help those that need help then that should be respected.
    • Erick Sandoval
      Erick Sandoval on 12 Oct 12
       
      We already have a picture in our mind that Africa is not the safest place to live but of course blood usually sells over the good things that happen over there. 
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 12 Oct 12
       
      should it really matter what the motives are for people who are giving money and aid to Africa as long as it is helping and trying to make a difference?
    • Caitlin Scott
      Caitlin Scott on 12 Oct 12
       
      I don't think it should, but I think that what this author is trying to say is that people are trying to make a difference but it may not actually be helping the African cause.  However, this author is asking something of the media that they do not do in regards to other things besides Africa.  They don't ever report good things that people do, it's always about the bad, so the media isn't targeting Africa, they are targeting everything.
  • Africa wants the world to acknowledge that through fair partnerships with other members of the global community, we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth.
    • Kayla Sawoski
      Kayla Sawoski on 12 Oct 12
       
      Just because parts of Africa are in poverty, doesn't mean that all areas are. Those people should still be acknowledged and recognized for the hard work they are doing. Some parts of Africa are actually capable of going far and are going to be very successful. People there still have the opportunity to make a change. 
  • News reports constantly focus on the continent's corrupt leaders, warlords, "tribal" conflicts, child laborers, and women disfigured by abuse and genital mutilation.
    • Dana Sacca
      Dana Sacca on 12 Oct 12
       
      I never really understood why news does this. Why do you focus on the negative? I feel like society has become increasingly negative. But the negativity makes sense because when things become frustrating you get discouraged and give up. There needs to be a balance between negative and positive. When there is positive it is up lifting and gives people hope. The news shouldn't focus on just negative because that contributes to the discouraging factor.
  • ad campaign features portraits of primarily white, Western celebrities with painted "tribal markings" on their faces above "I AM AFRICAN" in bold letters.
    • sahalfarah
      sahalfarah on 12 Oct 12
       
      A classic ad company ploy..
    • Brandon Weger
      Brandon Weger on 12 Oct 12
       
      I like the last line, "we ourselves are capable of unprecedented growth." It's nice to think about ourselves in that light, and its an optimistic picture for the future, but what are we actually accomplishing and what are we falling short on?? Words can only go so far, sorry to be sort of hypocritical, but action must be taken if change is your goal.
  • magazine spreads with celebrities pictured in the foreground, forlorn Africans in the back.
    • jeffrey hernandez
      jeffrey hernandez on 12 Oct 12
       
      In some cases celebrities are using the struggles of people in Africa and their help they are giving them as a publicity stunt. 
    • Ryan Hamilton
      Ryan Hamilton on 12 Oct 12
       
      Stuff like this bothers me. I am all for people wanting to help out in places that need it even if it is for self gratification and all of that. But the situations are much more complicated than the media leads people to believe. There are religious clashes in many of the central African countries and in the Northern African countries like Mali we are seeing Al-Qaeda and similar organizations set up Islamic radicalism. Feeding the poor and helping the people that are displaced by these things is not fixing the problem. And for the people who are saying the the US is just sending money to these countries and their 'corrupt dictators' is just wrong. We are trying to do much more than that. We have US Special Forces in many of these countries like Somalia, Mali, and many of the other central African countries. The US is putting some of our best soldiers in there to help the people. The media does not cover that part, they rather highlight the Pitt's and Clooney's. 
    • Kim H
      Kim H on 12 Oct 12
       
      I think part of the reason we only hear about what celebrities are doing is because we feel more connected to them than to people we have never heard of. Because we feel connected to them, publicists feel that we are more likely to respond to pleas for help from people we feel more connected to. 
  • Africa doesn't want to be saved
    • Sean McCarthy
      Sean McCarthy on 12 Oct 12
       
      African citizens just want to be seen as individuals that are equal to us, who have simply been born into more difficult circumstances, as opposed to some diseased animal that can only survive out of the goodness of some person's heart.. it's very similar to people who are crippled and are treated as less than human. this is kind of a reminder that we need to treat everyone as equally human, because we don't know what they're going through, we just know that they're people who deserve their same God-given rights.
  • shane paulson on 05 Oct 11
     
    I completely agree with Felicia. The media is the greatest influence on why these celebrity figures are the ones being spotlighted for the force behind helping out Africa. I think in many ways it is the media attempting to save these reputations of celebrities in order to keep the population of readers and listeners interested. People tend to be drawn to stories that they are familiar with or that they can relate to.
  • Edmund Garrett on 12 Oct 12
     
    Well, I do agree it is nice to give aid to Africa and the reason does matter. People that simply give money just to have his or her name announced that they did so is not the morally correct reason. You should just give cuz it's the right thing to do but nevertheless I would not stop sending money because of ill reasons. The reasons don't matter that much. We are saving people and if the ends outweigh the means then who cares.
Jason van Rijn

Dr. Marichal's Course Portals (2170) - 32 views

www.netvibes.com/pols208

shared by Jason van Rijn on 01 Sep 11 - No Cached
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 01 Sep 11
       
      I agree with this statement. Because this generation is exposed to the internet they have more conversations with each other, which complements the simply writing as well as writing being easier. With internet conversations being without emotions and physical connection, words can easily be interpreted in a wrong way. Which is why this generation writing may be simplier than previous generations. However, because of the informality of the internet they adapt to the misuse of words, which adds to the lack of proper grammer.
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 02 Sep 11
       
      With all due respect to Felecia, grammar is spelled incorrectly above. Nothing personal, just thought it was a pun and went along with the point you were making. I do agree, though, in a sense that it can force students to adapt to the misuse, but it also depends on the students themselves.
    • steve santos
      steve santos on 19 Sep 11
       
      taking informalities one step further I feel the generation now and those younger turning in those that when it comes to social interactions, many are inept in something as simple as a personal conversation initiative. The times being crippling in the personal stake of matters in having face on conversations. rather than talk it out; its turned to text it out. speaking in generalities of course. not saying they aren't exceptions, but its an increasing trend of shutting out and believing what one reads rather than thinking it out with someone there of what they genuinely think.
    • Matt Nolan
      Matt Nolan on 20 Sep 11
       
      I agree with Steve, I feel the younger generation has a harder time interacting with people and making conversation because everything is done electronically. You see more young people in society being shy or awkward around big crowds it is because of technology, nothing is personal anymore and I feel more people need to be willing to have a conversation and open up to people and engage in something they might not have much knowledge about because in the long run it will be better for your future and give you more opportunities to meet new people.
    • jose marichal
      jose marichal on 19 Sep 12
       
      I don't agree with any of you ---- JK
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 08 Sep 11
       
      It amazes me that 21st century medicine has yet to reach places such as Niger. In American and other 1st world countries death during childbirth is unheard of. I would think that with all of the volunteers and global programs these hospitals would at least have basic medicine. I am disgusted that this is still going on in such a developed world. These kinds of problems are being overlooked. Instead, the world is fighting over petty issues. I plan to have a career in healthcare and this article really has me thinking.
    • Felecia Russell
      Felecia Russell on 10 Sep 11
       
      This is obviously true for mothers around the world. Not every woman that goes into birth have proper care, some women are faced with dire consequences and results. A pregnant woman walking an hour to deliver a baby seems crucial in today's society. However, it is not hard for me to believe or envision this because this is the way of the world. The poor are really poor and the rich are extremely rich. Where is the middle ground?
    • steve santos
      steve santos on 16 Sep 11
       
      it is racking for how a person feels about these circumstances especially thinking about it in the sense of how people feel about karma and would want themselves treated if in difficult circumstances themselves. gilt of western civilization and privilege. that middle ground is especially hard to break into with the polis, market relationship being differing in changes in one will often go into an effect with the other that will become a problematic notion itself later to others who question the notion of THAT particular policy.
  • ...59 more annotations...
    • Sabryna Aylard
      Sabryna Aylard on 12 Sep 11
       
      When reading this article, it was really unbelieveable about the conditions of the hospitals and how horrible healthcare is in third world countries. It showed how large a spectrum is from a thriving economic society to a undeveloped country.
    • Valencia Hamilto
      Valencia Hamilto on 13 Sep 11
       
      Reading this article about the conditions in Niger makes me realize how blessed and fortunate we are here in the U.S. to have so many medical facilities and assistants to help and take of us in times of need. Just like it was mentioned in the article it seems like Niger was back in the middle ages where none of the resources we have today were available.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 15 Sep 11
       
      John Smith's books were all written around free market ideals. His book the wealth of nations describes that if people pursue their own interests, society will also benefit. I can agree with this statement in several ways. As seen in some fallen communist countries, if people do not have a private, personal good to work for, people are not generally willing to work as hard. Whereas if someone will receive self benefits/advancement they will be wiling to work harder to benefit society because of it. Once could also look at this from the standpoint that although the richest of people make more money than most could ever imagine, they are pumping millions of those dollars into the economy through job and good creation. So here, people are receiving self-benefits, but their companies are also benefiting the US economy. 
    • Sabryna Aylard
      Sabryna Aylard on 16 Sep 11
       
      I remember the day care experiment from another class. I always found it interesting that when you are given a fee of something, your morality goes unharmed since your paying it off.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 20 Sep 11
       
      I found this article to be very interesting. In my global issues class we had discussed specialization, and how specialization is more "efficient" (we also discussed efficiency). In this article they talked about how people are breaking down things like health into small,specialized aspects instead of looking at health as a whole- with many different contributing components. Was this done because it was more "efficient" in the world of study and research? It seems like there could be some sort of a connection, maybe the connection lies within the researchers themselves who are "specialists" in a particular study, so when doing research they do not take into account the later picture....
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 20 Sep 11
       
      Larger*
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 26 Sep 11
       
      In this article it says "...that if individual liberty is an ultimate end for human beings..." I found this to be very interesting because freedom is often looked so highly upon that it seems to be the very thing everyone strives for. It is true, freedom is a great thing, but can individual freedom be an ultimate end? We can't let people going around doing whatever they want. That is why we have laws- to create and maintain order within the polis. It is interesting to think though just how much individual freedom we can allow without ending overall peace and well-being within a society.
    • Joshua Gray
      Joshua Gray on 26 Sep 11
       
      For myself at least, I found that freedom was a means to an end and my personal favorite. I think people use freedom as a tool to find happiness and meaning within their own life. I agree that we have laws to attempt to solve the issues that arise between the differences and disagreements that we have within our society.
    • Valencia Hamilto
      Valencia Hamilto on 26 Sep 11
       
      Freedom is every man's dream..For the longest freedom has praised by everyone who became a heroic figure . But the definition of freedom changes from person to person. Freedom can be happiness to one and it can mean to have the freedom of expression to another . Freedom is a word that portrays to a broad topic. In the article Isaiah Berlin says that…" it is a term whose meaning is so porous that there is little interpretation that it seems able to resist."
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 26 Sep 11
       
      I agree in a way that there is no clear definition of freedom.  It is not something that is universal to everyone, but it is based off the individual's standards.  For example, some who may have just moved to the United states from a foreign country may consider freedom as being able to speak their opinion, while a U.S. born citizen may consider freedom as something along the lines of choosing whether or not to wear their seatbelt.
    • John Buchanan
      John Buchanan on 26 Sep 11
       
      This is the problem in washington: people can't find the "middle ground" or much less compromise.  The constant push and pull between positive and negative liberties will have scary consequences for the future of our nation.
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 10 Oct 11
       
      I agree and feel that the reason for this is because everybody naturally has different views and perspectives.  The right way to categorize in one's mind may vary to another individual.  This is why when we vote it is not unanimous but it is of the majority vote.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 19 Sep 12
       
      There is never going to be a "middle ground" anywhere, considering that every individual grows up with a different background, views, economic stance, etc.  
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 30 Sep 11
       
      I thought it was interesting that Simon Lovell studied so deeply into what makes a con man so successful. He explains that a con man is a good salesman, which seems pretty logical. I never thought deep into it though. He says that being a con man requires study of psychology and body language. I could see this helping, but does anyone really think con men go to such great lengths?? I feel like they just make good conversations and play into the wants of society
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 03 Oct 11
       
      This article is very bias. It talks about how republicans exploit information and use freaking techniques to trick americans. Don't ALL politicians do this? I just found it to be very interesting how the article began by putting blame on one side to make its ideas appear unreasonable. We discussed last week how "framing" is used across the board.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 05 Oct 11
       
      I kind of agree with this article. It is ridiculous that we have to use celebrities and crazy adds to grab people's attention and make them want to help. It's a "trend". If it's made cool and popular by celebrities and famous politicians people will jump on board. I guess though, these things are raising awareness. Before the ICU club appeared, most college and high school kids had no idea about what was going on in Darfur and other African countries. I feel like people should hold some kind of social responsibility to know major things that are happening in the world. But like we said in class the other day, people don't take this responsibility as a citizen of the world seriously, so I guess crazy adds and celebs have to be used to spread awarness.
    • Melissa Moreno
      Melissa Moreno on 21 Oct 11
       
      Taking caution with "the rustle in the grass" is important because all to often we accept stories and patterns as true because of the titles associated with them and those who are giving us the information. 
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 24 Oct 11
       
      Personally, I agree with the whole "slidware" stunt. I think that by using Microsoft Powerpoint, Keynote, etc. people can hide the fact that their discussion lacks content. Sometimes pictures and phrases can be useful in guiding the discussion or providing examples. This is not always the case though. In high school one of my teachers pointed out in another student's powerpoint that he/she had no true analysis about the topic, but was attempting to cover that up with fancy fonts, catchy slogans, and lots of pictures. When I listen to a speaker I want to be sure that I am being given as much DATA as possible, and even more important RELEVANT DATA! I've even caught teachers using their power points to cover the truth that they were not prepared to present the lecture. 
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 24 Oct 11
       
      The author makes a good point in the fact that visual reasoning usually works more effectively when relevant information is shown side by side.  It is easier for a reader to understand the significance of something if they have something else to compare it to.  I think that is how policy is either passed or not passed, based on whether that significance is strong enough.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 28 Oct 11
       
      I thought the whole idea of the command and control functions was very interesting. I think, especially in public policy, they're both used together. When a piece of legislation is passed we don't really have much control over it (granted, we could protest, sign petitions, etc.), so we have to do as "they" say. That's the command function. The control function is also in use though. I think that in order to make something seem more appealing and in order to gain support politicians definitely re order the environment to fit their argument. We're kind of tricked by this....
    • Joshua Gray
      Joshua Gray on 30 Oct 11
       
      I thought that the dangerous memes talk was a interesting talk that gave a unique look into humanity and our ideas or memes. It seemed to me that a major point in his talk was to attempt in certain cases to approach ideas in a morally objective manner to determine if such an ideea is a good or bad thing for humanity. Overall I believe that he did a very fine job giving his talk while staying as objective as possible.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 03 Nov 11
       
      I think that political scientists are beginning to realize more and more than almost everything is significant when it comes to "social construction". We are all, to some extent, influenced by both internal and external factors. I find the idea behind specific groups to be very interesting. I have always noticed that there are many politically-based groups that strictly abide by one set of ideals. I always wonder why they refuse to wander outside of their established "zone" and who are what factors led them to believe those were the best ideals. Gender is especially interesting. I guess women tend to be more soft/gentle/emotional characters, so this is why their ideals lean a certain way. However, I wonder if things may be changing. It seems as though a long time ago women had an established place and role in society, so this could have influenced their thinking. Now though, women can and do do all of the same things that men partake in. I wonder if this influences them politically at all. I, for one, am not soft and probably not as emotional or sympathetic as some people think I should be. 
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 07 Nov 11
       
      This article is very interesting. I think it's weird how they were actually able to transform an educational institution by first changing the name. I think that people embrace names and that they can be somewhat empowering. If the name of something is relatable or refers to something grand then people tend to be more responsive. I think this is a kind of framing in which a name can shape an institution, how it works, and how it's members participate. 
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 11 Nov 11
       
      this line about power growing as well as the enemies list got me to thinking, when your power and influence get stronger and expand does that automatically cause you to gain a longer list of enemies and "haters" and do the enemies have reason other than jealousy for this animosity. is it really Jay-Z's fault that he is a powerful respected man?
    • shane paulson
      shane paulson on 18 Nov 11
       
      I agree in a way that power influences the audience and how well known you are.  It is only natural that amongst a large group there are going to be haters.
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 18 Nov 11
       
      I can see both the pros and cons of this situation and always apply it to the legalization of marijuana in California. While I worry that legalization makes illicit drug use acceptable, we do see cases where drug use actually declines in the period after legalization. I don't really understand why this is, though, ...if something is legal it's not fun anymore?? I just think that, although it would be a good source of tax money, If marijuana is legalized people will still use it but I also think they will turn to other kinds of drug use which are much more serious. Whether we like it or not we know that a great amount of illicit drug use comes from marijuana use.  Tax Revenue or Possibility of more illicit drug use? I'm not sure which is better, or what would happen if drugs were legalized in America. In a variety of things, laws and regulations do not work in America as they do in foreign countries because we are so different, diverse, and seem to have overall different views on morals. 
    • Lauren Petta
      Lauren Petta on 05 Dec 11
       
      I think that, while it would be RIDICULOUS, if the administration had no idea what was going on in Rwanda, the third point is correct in some sense. It said "regardless of what it knew, there was nothing useful to be done. We see in a lot of unfortunate situations like this the only thing that is moderately useful that outsiders can do is to capture the leader- it times of chaos, it's not easy. This reminds me very much of the deal with Joseph Kony. Even though many countries have made a commitment to catch him if possible, it still hasn't happened and people are still being murdered.  I guess it comes with the power, but it still always surprises me that other countries judge us if we don't jump in to help EVERY situation in EVERY country at that VERY second....not to say that we shouldn't help people, but I think that too much is expected of the United States. We can't solve everyone's problems-- we can't even solve our own........
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 08 Sep 12
       
      Very interesting study. Evolution in the making causes us to have more mental battles within us when faced with difficult decisions, especially when associated with life, death, and murder. I would be like most in the trolley situation and pull the lever but not push the large man. However, in the second situation I would say that I would smother the baby to save the village. Now what I might do in reality could be the exact opposite, but as for hypothetical thought, those would be my conclusions. 
    • Cameron Schroeck
      Cameron Schroeck on 09 Sep 12
       
      Exactly! How would people simply know if something is wrong and fail to give a valid reason. If you know something is wrong or right, there should be a reason to support it.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 09 Sep 12
       
      "Moral dumbfounding" is a really interesting point in this article to me as it is true how people react to certain issues based on instincts. They react based on how they grew up with society, their background, and their upbringing. I think people should be discussing why they really think certain "social issues" are wrong, even if they do not hurt other people.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 19 Sep 12
       
      I agree completely, there are so many critical factors brought in that make bias towards one side.  There needs to be much more support and concrete evidence as to why a certain issue is morally wrong, not just a gut feeling.
    • Lauren Dudley
      Lauren Dudley on 09 Sep 12
       
      After listening to this podcast, I would probably agree with most people about pulling the lever and not pushing the man, as it is more personal in some way. Then as for the baby, I do not think I could do that even if it did save more people. As for deriving from apes in that morality form, I am just not sure about that yet, as I believe the world around your upbringing plays a big role.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 10 Sep 12
       
      Taking snapshots of a brain would really help scientists better understand the way a brain works which can eventually lead to advances in society.
    • Devon Meredith
      Devon Meredith on 10 Sep 12
       
      When reading what could be known as a controversial issue, we constantly ask ourselves "do we agree with that?". The scenarios explained in paragraph three of Hot Morality are the same. Yes, while the man purchasing a chicken and performing activities is odd, it isn't wrong and it is harmless. Topics like these are what causes discussions and also tests the morality of an issue. 
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 10 Sep 12
       
      Moal dumbfounding.   I think it's interesting that people that live today think that so many things are bad but do not know why.  When asked the question "why is it wrong?" many, after a deep thought, will say I don't know...  It just is.  We live in a society that knows that things are wrong but not why
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 14 Sep 12
       
      After reading this, you see how different countries around the world are and how difficult life is for people. It is extremely sad that the women have to go through so much when they have a baby. It isnt fair to them. They have a million more things that they have to be worried about and have to take care of themselves, unlike the women in Sweden. Hopefully one day, the way of living and surviving will be more equal all around the world.
    • laurenneiger
      laurenneiger on 19 Sep 12
       
      I believe that it is very true that even if humans give the same amount it feels more rewarding to give out of the goodness of our hearts than to be forced to.  People feel better about themselves if they are not forced, they make a compromise in their heads where if they give it will suddenly absolve them from all the other times they chose not to give. 
    • mgarciag
      mgarciag on 14 Sep 12
       
      I think that it's ignorant of the way that modern day Americans think about how people give birth all around  the world.  It's crazy how different the medical care is in a country such as Niger as compared to America let alone Sweden.
    • madison taylor
      madison taylor on 14 Sep 12
       
      It is crazy to see how simple medical and comfort needs cannot be met for the women in Niger. These women have to go through this painful childbirth and on top of it there babies have such a slim rate of survival. We take so much for granted.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 19 Sep 12
       
      Paying taxes is essential to the survival of our economy and the well-being of our society. When it comes to paying taxes, most people aren't happy about having to do so. However, people don't always realize that by paying taxes now, they are helping the country be better off later. The amount of taxes that have to be paid can be painful, but it is rewarding for the whole country.
    • Kevin Olive
      Kevin Olive on 21 Sep 12
       
      I do not think that letting Clint Eastwood speak on Mitt Romney's behalf was such a bad idea. Maybe if Clint Eastwood were to support Romney maybe Romney can get the support of Clint Eastwood's fan base. However attacking another candidate's supporters is not the smartest idea. No matter who you support we are all Americans and should not be attacked in a presidential fundraiser. Furthermore I have heard of plenty of rich people avoiding taxes who are not Obama supporters. You can look at the election polls all you want all that really matters is the end result.  
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 24 Sep 12
       
      This is interesting for this experiment not only uses one's personal background and experiences but also their biological background.  A lot of diseases such as depression and whatnot can be passed down through the generations of family and I feel like a lot of people forget to that into consideration. 
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 24 Sep 12
       
      Being rich and successful throughout your life will, in the end, make you happy, but it does take some work to get there and you will have to experience hard times. It takes some "pain" to get to what makes us happy. You may be happy with the way things turned out and glad that you experienced the hard times to get to the good times.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 28 Sep 12
       
      It's interesting how he speaks of freedom as if it doesn't naturally come to us, but rather as something you earn.  He had to push the boundaries of the natural order to be able to successfully have the freedom he deserved and also wanted. 
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 08 Oct 12
       
      I would like to see some of this evidence he references (although I'm fairly certain it is included in his book), because I find this almost difficult to believe and, if it is true, quite frightening. I would not have been surprised if he said that it affects the politically informed some, but equally to the uninformed? That is a frightening thought. If being informed doesn't change how much it affects you, then what does? 
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 08 Oct 12
       
      If I understood this article correctly, I believe that Shanto Iyengar is right in every way.  Everything that society sees through media is framed to be viewed a particular way.  The media has the power to display information the way they want society to view the material.  This is how a lot of people form their opinions when it comes to government and policy issues.
    • Jason van Rijn
      Jason van Rijn on 08 Oct 12
       
      I think that framing is a real problem in relaying political information to the public and that if the populace had enough motivation and attention, it would be much more useful to require presidential candidates to put their ideas in an essay with graphs and supporting evidence. Debates just present a fraction of the information and  lead people to weakly supported opinions.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 10 Oct 12
       
      It's interesting how throughout this article the main point is letting the audience hear what they want to.  No matter what, there is going to be a bias towards your own political party; leaving the opposite candidate to hopelessly fight when the bias will still be stronger than the information supported. 
    • Edmund Garrett
      Edmund Garrett on 10 Oct 12
       
      It makes sense that people who are more adept to understanding another person's emotions are able to do so with the characters in the story. Seems like a redundant explanation if you ask me.
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 12 Oct 12
       
      This is an excellent observation and is evinced by children's particular delight in and gravitation towards stories. Children lack very much personal experience in the world and in life, and so they are naturally drawn to stories to help the m make sense of and prepare for the real world. 
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 12 Oct 12
       
      I believe that the best classic stories are those orally told, for they tend to hold the most emotion and power beyond the person telling it.  They are passed down generation to generation and their stories never truly die. 
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 12 Oct 12
       
      This article is very eye-opening.  Most people do not think about the people that they are fighting for or trying to represent.  They do not think of the way they are presenting the people.  A lot of times, poorer countries are depicted as inferior and wealthier countries, such as the US, are depicted as superior.  When trying to help a poor country most people focus on the people that are "helping," like celebrities. Instead, the focus should be on the people that we are trying to help.
    • Jason van Rijn
      Jason van Rijn on 17 Oct 12
       
      I think it is unfair to cast political scientists as an impractical ivory tower elite. Theory is an important dynamic of any discipline, and political theory is still grounded in a potential application to improve society. There is a limited range of political ideas in practice and I think it is important to have highly specialized  people speculate on novel solutions to problems.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 26 Oct 12
       
      This is very interesting for it takes an approach that has nothing to do with religion but rather with evolution.  Many can say that these suspicions are used in regards with God and his doings but it's nice to see the other side in a scientifically proven way.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 29 Oct 12
       
      This is interesting for I am a very visual learner and it takes me a lot of different subjects to look at for me to be able to study and learn effectively.  Sometimes words aren't the most important but rather the way it sticks in your mind is what matters most.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 29 Oct 12
       
      this article/guide is an extremely helpful tool to help someone make sure that a presentation they are giving gets their point across.  These points will ensure that the audience is captivated and stays engaged in the presentation. 
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 02 Nov 12
       
      Being on opposite sides of the spectrum must be so difficult when there are so many ideas clashing together one certain issue.  however, it is the duty of our politicians to be able to set aside these issues and further bring something to the table for the whole of America.  Backing out of a deal last minute is pugnacious and disrespectful to Obama and to the others who would have benefited from this act.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 02 Nov 12
       
      In the past, political parties could be very diverse when major events occurred in the nation and would be more unified in the times without major events.  Being diverse is brought on because of decisions and policies that arise from the major events.  Being able to more unified makes things in the House and Senate run more smoothly.  As years have progressed, both the Republicans and Democrats, have become more unified through good and bad times in the nation.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 12 Nov 12
       
      This cannot raise scores or change the outlook of the community, but I think that this will help raise the spirits of the students attending that school and will help raise school pride to everyone in the community.  This is just the first step to pursuing a bright future for the students and society that they live in.
    • Kristi Kniest
      Kristi Kniest on 12 Nov 12
       
      The people of Athens set an example for many countries centuries after their time.  The only way for a government to thrive and be successful is to use the resources given. These resources will allow the government to take opportunities that are given to them, as well as, learning from mistakes they made in certain decisions they made.
    • laurenneiger
      laurenneiger on 12 Nov 12
       
      I think this strategy was extremely interesting.  I personally would have never thought to take the action that they did.  I thought it was really interesting and a different way of going about a problem
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 16 Nov 12
       
      This is in conjunction to how corporations may have too much power.  Who should be the leader? Should there be one? A small group? A network? Who holds the ultimate power?
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 25 Nov 12
       
      Humans natural reaction when they are getting attacked is to form a bias.  There will always be a form of bias for most people have a hard time admitting that they are wrong and someone else is right.  Even in politics, one may agree with a democratic idea but won't admit it for they are republic.  We must all try our best to remain open-minded to all ideas to benefit everyone in our society.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 26 Nov 12
       
      This is definitely an invasion of privacy, although it may be effective.  People do have a tendency by nature to ignore such situations that make them uncomfortable though, leaving it to not be successful with many Americans. 
    • Carissa Faulk
      Carissa Faulk on 03 Dec 12
       
      I never knew, and I find it quite intriguing, that there was no border patrol until 1924.
    • Chantelle Cichon
      Chantelle Cichon on 09 Dec 12
       
      I believe that standardization is easier said than done.  There is no such thing as a Utopian society for there are so many different views, believes, lifestyles, etc. that can affect a whole bigger picture in a much more complex manner.  Even if one does attempt to standardize, there will still be someone who disagrees and wants to cause, once again, another revolution.
    • Jason van Rijn
      Jason van Rijn on 10 Dec 12
       
      Unlike hard sciences, you cannot repeat an experiment many times with slight modifications to certain variables. Having some kind of model system to test theories is wishful thinking and impossible because of the infinite variables in social situations but it would just be nice to run simulations of certain welfare programs
  • Lauren Dudley on 09 Sep 12
     
    "moral dubfounding"
Melissa Moreno

What Makes Us Happy? - Magazine - The Atlantic - 0 views

www.theatlantic.com/...7439

shared by Melissa Moreno on 19 Sep 11 - Cached
  • Is there a formula—some mix of love, work, and psychological adaptation—for a good life?
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 19 Sep 11
       
      I honestly just don't think there is. Obviously some people do, I mean they did this study, but I don't think there is a formula for happiness. I think everyone is different so what makes them happy is different.
    • Mike Frieda
      Mike Frieda on 20 Sep 11
       
      Right off the bat, I must say no there is not a formula. "Good" is an entirely subjective idea. What one individual considers "good" might be someone else's idea of terrible. Just looking at basic social and cultural values/norms it would be impossible to set a single list of objectives a person must accomplish in order to consider themselves as having a good life. 
    • Amanda Power
      Amanda Power on 21 Sep 11
       
      Although people are different there are more similarities in all of us than differences. There may not be an exact formula but there might be a specific set of things all people need in order to be happy.
    • Eric Henderson
      Eric Henderson on 21 Sep 11
       
      I agree with you Amanda, there is definitely not one specific formula that will yield overall hapiness. Yet, there may be a select few aspects of one's life that may yield greater happiness for them than the happiness of a person who does not have those things.
    • Melissa Moreno
      Melissa Moreno on 21 Sep 11
       
      Happiness is dependent upon a persons morals and ethics as well as their culture. I agree with Sarah, there isn't a formula for happiness. A person coming from an affluent culture is more likely going to consider more materialistic things in what makes them happy than someone who comes from a third world country, or even a country that is war torn. At the end of the day you are the one who has to look yourself in the mirror and figure out if you are happy with what you have and the decisions that you make, that is ultimately all that matters. 
  • that combination of sentiments and physiological factors which in toto is commonly interpreted as successful living.”
    • Sarah McKee
      Sarah McKee on 19 Sep 11
       
      These seem very nonspecific.
    • magen sanders
      magen sanders on 19 Sep 11
       
      the things that we study and experiment are things we are most passionate about and the things that are most popular in society, since this was not an extremely detrimental study to society it died out and wasnt funded does that make it any less important. i feel bad that they loss funding.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • From their days of bull sessions in Cambridge to their active duty in World War II, through marriages and divorces, professional advancement and collapse—and now well into retirement—the men have submitted to regular medical exams, taken psychological tests, returned questionnaires, and sat for interviews
  • longitudinal method of research, which tracks relatively small samples over long periods of time
  • By age 50, almost a third of the men had at one time or another met Vaillant’s criteria for mental illness
    • Amanda Power
      Amanda Power on 21 Sep 11
       
      This is incredibly interesting, especially considering society looks down on mental illness.  
  • A survey asks you: “If you had your life to live over again, what problem, if any, would you have sought help for and to whom would you have gone?” “Probably I am fooling myself,” you write, “but I don’t think I would want to change anything.”
    • nsamuelian
      nsamuelian on 21 Sep 11
       
      i asked myself this question after reading this and i also answered the same thing. if i had lived a life like this, i would be pretty satisfied and i think most other would also. it is like living the american dream; living a successful, long, healthy life with your wife by your side, your kids and grandkids in your life. many people would have the same reaction, but most people wouldnt want to die falling down drunk.
  • “They were normal when I picked them,” he told Vaillant in the 1960s. “It must have been the psychiatrists who screwed them up.”
    • Gaby Ramirez Castorena
      Gaby Ramirez Castorena on 21 Sep 11
       
      this is an interesting statement to make...perhaps it can be considered possible that all of the research did create this kind of illness, which really says something about the human mind
  • anonymous on 20 Sep 11
     
    Life is so complex. I believe that there are general things people can do to increase their odds of living a good life, such as staying away from drugs, but there are numerous factors that are beyond their control. Children generally cannot determine whether or not their parents stay together, and as Vaillant states, it is extremely difficult for young people to use "mature adaptations" without going through some experience to teach them how to behave. Life ain't no crystal staircase for anyone. Also, I believe that the question should not be "what makes us happy" but "what satisfies us." Happiness is only on a surface level (and generally temporary) without a foundation of satisfaction.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • cj_woldanski on 21 Sep 11
     
    I do not think there is a formula for creating a good life. I think that creating your own personal good life is ultimately how you portray your life. If you think that if you think you have a good life then it is obvious that there is no formula. Every person is different and each person has their own take on what a good life would be described.
  • shane paulson on 23 Sep 11
     
    This goes back to the "American Dream". The good life and happiness is best identified by the individual rather than others' judgements. Each and every person has their own aspirations and dreams, and how close you come to reaching those goals and happiness, determines how successful you really are.
  • Andrew Rothans on 23 Sep 11
     
    I think having a good life is all up to you. You put in the effort and your effort determines the outcome. To have a good life you should eliminate all bad things and obstacles such as drugs, alcohol, and other bad influences. When you eliminate the bad things you can achieve a good life and be happy.
Felecia Russell

Questions on New Insight on Poverty And Life Around the World - 12 views

Well, he said, health is important but not as important as the environment because of future generations to come. Health is extremely important because it is the drive of life. Some of his argument...

question

started by Joshua Gray on 10 Oct 11 2 follow-ups, last by Felecia Russell on 11 Oct 11
Eric Henderson

Questions on Alex Lundry's Chart Wars: The Political Power of Data Visualization - 20 views

I think we are all being mislead in the world of politics, as that is the overall "vibe" I get from any interaction with politics i come across. Policy leaders or politicians, make their living on...

started by Lauren Petta on 10 Oct 11 7 follow-ups, last by Eric Henderson on 12 Oct 11
Bethany Petersen

Questions on "Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise" - 17 views

I see how politicians would use patternicity in order to further their goals. One way they could do this is by planting schemas, such as the conspiracy theories like the ones in the articles. By do...

started by Xochitl Cruz on 20 Oct 11 8 follow-ups, last by Bethany Petersen on 21 Oct 11
Lauren Frenkel

Questions for "Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise" - 14 views

I would have to agree with Tavish,patternicity allows the polis to place blame easily. It is felt that further research is not needed therefore false problems are created. lot of time and effort i...

started by Jacqueline Ramsay on 20 Oct 11 4 follow-ups, last by Lauren Frenkel on 21 Oct 11
Eric Arbuckle

Magen Sanders Questions on-Patternicity: Finding Meaningful Patterns in Meaningless Noise - 17 views

Comes down to one main thing. If we are attacked by a country or terrorist organization, and that attack causes harm to a great number of American civilians or American military personnel; it is ou...

question

started by magen sanders on 19 Oct 11 6 follow-ups, last by Eric Arbuckle on 21 Oct 11
Andrew Rothans

Discussion Questions- October 28th, 2011- Ryan Brown - 16 views

Evolution has changed our "killing behavior". As we grew and evolved our morals changed and we learned more of what is right and wrong. Changing your environment would have the greatest impact, b...

started by Ryan Brown on 27 Oct 11 5 follow-ups, last by Andrew Rothans on 28 Oct 11
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