EN 102 Week 2 Discussion

These discussion boards have been designed to explore controversial topics. Often these debates have the potential to become heated.  In the act of creating ideas, heat can be a good thing, but not at the expense of hurt feelings or frustration.  Remember that any argument asks that we change something about ourselves.  If we are asking our readers to change, we need to be civil about it. Likewise, when we are challenged by others with a different opinion, we need to keep an open mind. Remember, we are not changing the world here, only examining it.

Some important rules to follow: 

1.    You may not attack other people or their ideas in this course.  To do so may result in failure of the assignment. You may, however, disagree with the ideas of others, but do so in a constructive manner. (e.g. "I don't agree with your post.  I think instead that . . . " NOT "That's a dumb way of looking at this."  Debate in academia is important, but let's all be adults here. 

2.    Ask open-ended questions (e. g. "What if we thought about things this way?"), and avoid making statements meant to be absolute or closed-ended questions ("There is no other way to think about this," or "Do you agree with me?").

3.    Remember to consider the lessons we've worked on throughout the rest of the class.  Rather than simply reacting to the readings and the responses of your classmates, think about the arguments being made. Really consider the effectiveness of these arguments. 

Go to the resources tab and use the EBSCO host link to search for the following articles, then, using the questions below as a guide, write a 75-100 word response about the issue being discussed. Next, please take the time to respond to your classmates.

Read

Go to the resources tab and use the EBSCO host link to search for the following articles:

1.    Woodson, J. (1992). Where My Mother Touches Me. Kenyon Review, 14(4), 94.

2.    Lun, J., Sinclair, S., & Cogburn, C. (2009). Cultural Stereotypes and the Self: A Closer    Examination of Implicit Self-Stereotyping. Basic & Applied Social Psychology, 31(2), 117-127. doi:10.1080/01973530902880340

Respond

1.    We like to think that all stereotyping is a bad thing, but, right or wrong, many stereotypes are based on facts. Think about stereotypes to which you and your "group" have been subjected.  How many of these stereotypes are actually true? What stereotypes pertaining to your group are partially right or wrong?  Which ones are completely inaccurate?

2.    One of the most interesting things about stereotypes is how they can affect the actions of those who have been stereotyped. Think of a stereotype you're familiar with. Which came first, the label or the trait? How can the things that other people say about us affect who we become?

3.    What does this dicussion tell us about our own perceptions of individuality? 

 

Field of study: 
English
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