Politics
and society
1MA/3 had an article about guns, but Ania is now in our class so we can keep those questions if you want, otherwise we'll need a couple of new questions.
1. What are some possible explanations for voter apathy in American elections?
2. Should soft drugs be legalized?
3. Discuss some of the protest movements and the root causes for the protests seen around the world in the last two years.
4. What are some of the causes of mass murders and how should we punish the mass murderers?
5. Why did the Maple Spring movement develop and why can it be viewed as more successful than other protest movements.
1MA/3 had an article about guns, but Ania is now in our class so we can keep those questions if you want, otherwise we'll need a couple of new questions.
1. What are some possible explanations for voter apathy in American elections?
2. Should soft drugs be legalized?
3. Discuss some of the protest movements and the root causes for the protests seen around the world in the last two years.
4. What are some of the causes of mass murders and how should we punish the mass murderers?
5. Why did the Maple Spring movement develop and why can it be viewed as more successful than other protest movements.
6.
Do you think that laws should be passed to limit gun
ownership?
Relationships
(find cnn video) - Here's a link to an onion spoof. Underneath is the actual CNN video.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/US/story?id=889903&page=1#.UayLv9ixOho
1. What is your perspective on polyamorous relationships? Can you imagine being a part of such a relationship?
2. How do polyamorous relationships affect children? Should polyamorous families have the right to raise children?
3. What can be done to help ex-convicts re-enter society.
4. Why do some women begin relationships with locked up men?
5. What different forms of sexual harassment are still seen in modern workplaces?
6. What should be done to combat sexual harassment?
Lifestyle
Relationships
(find cnn video) - Here's a link to an onion spoof. Underneath is the actual CNN video.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/US/story?id=889903&page=1#.UayLv9ixOho
1. What is your perspective on polyamorous relationships? Can you imagine being a part of such a relationship?
2. How do polyamorous relationships affect children? Should polyamorous families have the right to raise children?
3. What can be done to help ex-convicts re-enter society.
4. Why do some women begin relationships with locked up men?
5. What different forms of sexual harassment are still seen in modern workplaces?
6. What should be done to combat sexual harassment?
Lifestyle
1. What techniques do advertisers use to convince people to buy unnecessary things?
2.
Do things and money bring happiness? If not what does?
3. How does consumerism affect children? (Consuming Kids - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XSaaQjuuK0)
4. What impact does consumerism have on holiday seasons?
5. What is couchsurfing and what are some dangers associated with it?
6. Discuss some other creative and unconventional ways of traveling.
Tourism and travel
1. Is the urge to travel genetic?
3. How does consumerism affect children? (Consuming Kids - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XSaaQjuuK0)
4. What impact does consumerism have on holiday seasons?
5. What is couchsurfing and what are some dangers associated with it?
6. Discuss some other creative and unconventional ways of traveling.
Tourism and travel
1. Is the urge to travel genetic?
2.
Describe the influence of technology on traveling.
3. What is the difference between travel and tourism?
4. How can tourists negatively affect their destinations and the people living there?
5. Which disaster sites (if any) would you be interested in seeing? Why? http://thevelvetrocket.com/2011/12/04/disaster-tourism-destinations/
6. Is it ethical to travel to war affected and poverty-stricken areas?
Technology
1. What is hacktivism? What are some methods of hacktivism?
2. Do you support any of the hacktivists’ actions? Why yes/not?
3. What is the difference between travel and tourism?
4. How can tourists negatively affect their destinations and the people living there?
5. Which disaster sites (if any) would you be interested in seeing? Why? http://thevelvetrocket.com/2011/12/04/disaster-tourism-destinations/
6. Is it ethical to travel to war affected and poverty-stricken areas?
Technology
1. What is hacktivism? What are some methods of hacktivism?
2. Do you support any of the hacktivists’ actions? Why yes/not?
3. What are some of the advantages of taking a break from technology?
4. How can technology be used to improve/alter our bodies?
5. How do social networking sites afftect kids' social skills?
4. How can technology be used to improve/alter our bodies?
5. How do social networking sites afftect kids' social skills?
6. How have technological devices changed the way we communicate?
Media and journalism
1. How does the White House shape and manipulate media coverage?
2. What are the three pillars of video virality?
3. What are the core components of creating a successful Internet/YouTube video?
4. Discuss other famous media hoaxes played and the motivations for creating them.
5. What are some of the media manipulation techniques employed by those in power?
Media and journalism
1. How does the White House shape and manipulate media coverage?
2. What are the three pillars of video virality?
3. What are the core components of creating a successful Internet/YouTube video?
4. Discuss other famous media hoaxes played and the motivations for creating them.
5. What are some of the media manipulation techniques employed by those in power?
6. What is the relationship between the media and those in power?
Business and finance
For question #2: I would talk about the recurrence of crisis over the past couple of centuries but more specifically about the Savings and Loan crisis of the 80's, followed by the Dot-Com bubble in 2000 and then the current crisis. People withing gov't such as Brooksely Born warned (from movie) that the huge growth in financial derivatives had no oversight and was inherently risky but was overruled by others and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act was implemented making it illegal to regulate derivatives. 2004, the FBI formally warned that the mortgage market was becoming unstable. 2005, the head of the IMF gave a speech in which he said the incentive structure of rewarding short term profits with huge bonuses was creating long term dangers for which he was called a Luddite and ignored. Many articles appeared in the financial press in 2006 and 2007 warning that there was too much debt. Finally, I'd mention the similarities between 2007 and 1929, the huge increase in income inequality caused those at the top to need to borrow more money in order to keep up and also created a huge pool of investment funds at the top of people needing to invest in something. The inevitable result was the riskier and riskier loans were made to those who ultimately couldn't afford it. At the same time, Wall Street was employing rocket scientists to create investments which seemed to magically get rid of risk...
Business and finance
For question #2: I would talk about the recurrence of crisis over the past couple of centuries but more specifically about the Savings and Loan crisis of the 80's, followed by the Dot-Com bubble in 2000 and then the current crisis. People withing gov't such as Brooksely Born warned (from movie) that the huge growth in financial derivatives had no oversight and was inherently risky but was overruled by others and the Commodity Futures Modernization Act was implemented making it illegal to regulate derivatives. 2004, the FBI formally warned that the mortgage market was becoming unstable. 2005, the head of the IMF gave a speech in which he said the incentive structure of rewarding short term profits with huge bonuses was creating long term dangers for which he was called a Luddite and ignored. Many articles appeared in the financial press in 2006 and 2007 warning that there was too much debt. Finally, I'd mention the similarities between 2007 and 1929, the huge increase in income inequality caused those at the top to need to borrow more money in order to keep up and also created a huge pool of investment funds at the top of people needing to invest in something. The inevitable result was the riskier and riskier loans were made to those who ultimately couldn't afford it. At the same time, Wall Street was employing rocket scientists to create investments which seemed to magically get rid of risk...
1.What is a fiat currency and why does it have value?
2.Is it true that nobody could have predicted the financial crisis?
3.What
are some of the factors that have led to the "Great Divergence"?
4.Is
income inequality just the problem of 99%?
5.What is a Ponzi scheme and how does it compare to the financial system?
6. How
did the government of Cyprus and the troika try to solve their
banking crisis?
Ethics
Leaving it but we could remove one of the doping for a ethicalishness question
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/15/does-morality-have-a-place-on-wall-street/greed-on-wall-street-prevents-good-from-happening
In economic theory, a moral hazard is a situation where a party will have a tendency to take risks because the costs that could incur will not be felt by the party taking the risk. In other words, it is a tendency to be more willing to take a risk, knowing that the potential costs or burdens of taking such risk will be borne, in whole or in part, by others. A moral hazard may occur where the actions of one party may change to the detriment of another after a financial transaction has taken place.
Good talk, austerity, scottish accent, swearing and economics. Moral hazard come in about 14:30 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JQuHSQXxsjM#!
Revolving Door -
1.Explain the term “moral hazard”. When does it occur and what are its consequences?
2.How do we distinguish between right and wrong? What are the sources of ethical behavior?
3.Recent research suggested that the wealthy are less ethical, why could this be so? Give examples of the unethical behaviors of the rich.
Leaving it but we could remove one of the doping for a ethicalishness question
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-184511311MA/3 had an article about doping in sport, 1MA/4 didn't have a presentation.
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/15/does-morality-have-a-place-on-wall-street/greed-on-wall-street-prevents-good-from-happening
In economic theory, a moral hazard is a situation where a party will have a tendency to take risks because the costs that could incur will not be felt by the party taking the risk. In other words, it is a tendency to be more willing to take a risk, knowing that the potential costs or burdens of taking such risk will be borne, in whole or in part, by others. A moral hazard may occur where the actions of one party may change to the detriment of another after a financial transaction has taken place.
Good talk, austerity, scottish accent, swearing and economics. Moral hazard come in about 14:30 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JQuHSQXxsjM#!
Revolving Door -
1.Explain the term “moral hazard”. When does it occur and what are its consequences?
2.How do we distinguish between right and wrong? What are the sources of ethical behavior?
3.Recent research suggested that the wealthy are less ethical, why could this be so? Give examples of the unethical behaviors of the rich.
4.Is
society becoming less moral or not? Explain your answer.
5.Discuss
some of the consequences of using doping and performance-enhancing
drugs.
6.What is the revolving door and how does it relate to ethical behavior?Art & Culture
I would like to change a couple. Remove/add something from the article below.
1MA/3 had a presentation about poor musicians while 1MA/4 had an extra class about illegal file downloading based on this article -
thetrichordist.com/2012/06/18/letter-to-emily-white-at-npr-all-songs-considered/
1. How can we make art more accessible to the general public?
2. What is the role of art?
3. How has technology such as the internet influenced art generally and music specifically?
4. What different interests can art serve?
5. How should communities decide what is appropriate art for the public space?
6. How do people interpret art and whose interpretation counts.
7. What do you think about art in public spaces such as 'outer spaces'.
Tourism : How can tourists negatively affect their destinations and the people living there?
ReplyDeleteArt: Should art serve society? Whose interests should it serve?
ReplyDeleteTourism: What is the difference between travel and tourism?
ReplyDeleteThanks Iwona. Here's a few suggestions for business:
ReplyDeleteWhat is the securitization food chain (and how did it make the financial system riskier)?
What is a Ponzi scheme and how does it compare to the financial system?
Is it true that nobody could have predicted the financial crisis?
Media:
ReplyDeleteWhat is the relationship between the media and those in power?
Why has a cooperative rather than an adversarial relationship developed between the media and those in power?
What are some of the media manipulation techniques employed by the Obama White House?
Technology : How do social networking sites afftect kids' social skills? or Discuss the pun in the title of the article 'Antisocial networking'
ReplyDeleteEthics:
ReplyDeleteWhy do some people believe Wall Street executives should be in jail and why aren't they?
What is the revolving door and how does it relate to ethical behavior?
What is a credit derivative swap and how does it relate to insurance and the financial crisis?