Today's task is simple:
Set up your account at blogger.com. This will enable you to post comments to the class.
Now please read the 6 Questions below and then respond to TWO of them. Then, wait to read what others have written, and then comment on two different classmates' ideas. These questions are on the topic of Fundamental Human Rights and were inspired by the article "Intrinsic worth, consent, and coercion in economic contexts." YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ THIS ARTICLE NOW.
The Questions:
1) In general what is your point of view on human beings' fundamental/basic rights? Why do you have this view?
2) To what extent should the government ensure that these 'fundamental rights' are protected... especially outside of employee/employer work contracts?
3) Since employees consent to working contracts, should they alone be responsible to make the best possible decisions that cover their fundamental rights? Why or why not?
4) What does 'Self Sufficiency' mean to you? How does a 'self-sufficient' adult male live his life? How does a 'self-sufficient' adult female live her life?
5) Give an example of a situation where an employer's regulations might (unknowingly) compromise the employee's fundamental human rights.
6) Do you believe that in the market economy, humans lose their intrinsic value and are forced/coerced to give up some basic human rights? Discuss.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Who's over there?
Task:
In class we wrote to a character from a country where our clothing was made. In this second part to the assignment, which prepares you for the first longer essay (5 pages), you are to search and find information for an informal report. This lab exercise has 2 main objectives:
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1) To compile information about the label that makes your article of clothing.
a. Go to the brand’s American website. Copy and paste information on a Microsoft word page about the company’s mission/vision/values – the ‘About Us’ Section
b. Information about the company’s history, the company’s national and international operations (where in the world are their factories?)
c. How many employees are working in these factories? What are working conditions
d. How much are employees paid? Is that amount considered to be reasonable or enough?
2) To compile information about a) a young person your age b) a working adult, 10 years older or more.
a. Where do you think you would find some reliable information about people of working age? Look for some general information (such as the fact-page written about this country by the official US government website). You can start by running a search on the country using Google.com
b. What is the difference between a primary and secondary source? Look for some ‘primary source’ information, like web content that is written by someone like the person you wrote to. How do you think this person actually feels about where they live? What are their goals and dreams? Where to find all this info? Try weblogs like Myspace, Facebook, Yahoo groups etc. and do a demographic search like (age-17, country = japan, gender = female, etc.)
c. If you know what this person likes, then what images might be familiar or important to them? Cut and paste one or two images at the bottom of your report.
d. Where else can you find good sources to investigate this character?
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So, when you find something useful, cut and paste it onto a Microsoft Word document; then you can email it to yourself to ensure that you have it. Document the sources of all information you collect.
In class we wrote to a character from a country where our clothing was made. In this second part to the assignment, which prepares you for the first longer essay (5 pages), you are to search and find information for an informal report. This lab exercise has 2 main objectives:
------------
1) To compile information about the label that makes your article of clothing.
a. Go to the brand’s American website. Copy and paste information on a Microsoft word page about the company’s mission/vision/values – the ‘About Us’ Section
b. Information about the company’s history, the company’s national and international operations (where in the world are their factories?)
c. How many employees are working in these factories? What are working conditions
d. How much are employees paid? Is that amount considered to be reasonable or enough?
2) To compile information about a) a young person your age b) a working adult, 10 years older or more.
a. Where do you think you would find some reliable information about people of working age? Look for some general information (such as the fact-page written about this country by the official US government website). You can start by running a search on the country using Google.com
b. What is the difference between a primary and secondary source? Look for some ‘primary source’ information, like web content that is written by someone like the person you wrote to. How do you think this person actually feels about where they live? What are their goals and dreams? Where to find all this info? Try weblogs like Myspace, Facebook, Yahoo groups etc. and do a demographic search like (age-17, country = japan, gender = female, etc.)
c. If you know what this person likes, then what images might be familiar or important to them? Cut and paste one or two images at the bottom of your report.
d. Where else can you find good sources to investigate this character?
----------
So, when you find something useful, cut and paste it onto a Microsoft Word document; then you can email it to yourself to ensure that you have it. Document the sources of all information you collect.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Selling Diets
Welcome to the DSPVerbal Skills Lab!
The question of the week is: who would you trust, along the news cycle?
Please observe the comic: "The Science News Cycle," courtesy of Phdcomics.com
Consider the different "sources" of information that show up after the original press release, and think about which ones are more credible or trustworthy to the unsuspecting reader.
Today's Assignment:
Today we will be searching for an official and credible source to add to our knowledge of a controversial topic. This assignment is similar to Short Essay One, on "Does America Still Exist" by Richard Rodriguez. Today's assignment, however, is focused on a controversial science topic: the risks/benefits of the vegetarian/rawfood movements. In the past 50 years, the ideal American diet has become one of the most important public health and socioeconomic issues in academic and casual conversations. What have you heard recently about current perspectives on a healthy diet?
Steps:
1) First of all, quickly read over/skim the following Article: "The Living and Raw Foods F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)"
Then, answer the following questions
a) What is the genre of this text (what type of text is this)?
b) What is the author's message or main point on this issue (boiled down)?
c) What is the author's reason for sending this message?
d) Who is the target audience for this message?
2) Now, please read over/skim the following Article: "Beyond Denial: Coming to Grips with Reality in the Veg/Raw Movements" -- An Interview with Tom Billings
Then, answer the following questions
a) What is the genre of this text?
b) What is the author's message or main point on this issue (boiled down)?
c) What is the author's reason for sending this message?
d) Who is the target audience for this message?
3) Which of the top two websites is more convincing or credible? Discuss which of the texts was more trustworthy to you (mention elements of both style and informational content).
4) Now, find and designate an Official Source for this topic. Your source does not have to be an obvious 'authority' on the issue. Discuss how you decided which texts or ideas you would take seriously. Why is your source persuasive enough to use as a standard for evaluation?
Then, answer the following questions
a) What is the title and source of this text? What is the genre of this text?
b) What is the author's message or main point on this issue (boiled down)?
c) What is the author's reason for sending this message?
d) Who is the target audience for this message?
Note: For the Rodriguez essay, you are doing something similar to parts 2, 3, and 4. The only difference is that for part 2, you will be finding your own (unofficial) source. Remember, you will add one unofficial and one official source to the original article (Rodriguez). With Rodriguez' article, a 'Humanities News Cycle' is at work. How different do humanities media look from science media?
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