Assignment 1: Cultural Contexts

How Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality Resonate Beyond the Novel

The Awakening was published in 1899, and the plot focuses on several months in the life of Edna Pontieller, a 28-year-old mother of two.  As modern-day readers we may not entirely identify with the strict societal expectations of both men and women at that time, yet the theme of self-fulfillment still resonates today. Chopin introduces us to a few key characters who are influential in Edna’s evolution from a traditional mother and wife to a woman who decisively frees herself from a mortal life of “bondage” (i.e. marriage and motherhood). 

The novel touches on many social issues, including motherhood, sexuality, socioeconomic differences, marriage, and suicide.  Struggles similar to Edna’s thirst for independence, identity, and freedom are also explored in contemporary media.  Here are a few film examples of female characters in untraditional roles, and/or characters addressing controversial issues in an effort to find freedom:

Motherhood, Marriage, and Family

A Doll’s House; The Scarlet Letter; He Said, She Said; Muriel’s Wedding; The Age of Innocence; Erin Brockovich; and Mermaids

Sexuality

The Color Purple, The Piano, Frida, Fried Green Tomatoes, She’s Gotta Have It, Out of Africa, Heavenly Creatures, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and The Crying Game

Socioeconomic/Racial Differences

The Long Walk Home, Jungle Fever, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, The Joy Luck Club, Beloved, A Woman Called Moses, and Saving Face

Suicide

The Virgin Suicides, Dead Poet’s Society, The Hours, The Shawshank Redemption, What Dreams May Come, Romeo and Juliet, Full Metal Jacket, The Happening, White Oleander, Seven Pounds, Thelma and Louise, and Girl, Interrupted

Independence, Identity and Empowerment

A League of Their Own, Thelma and Louise, Waiting to Exhale, Bend It Like Beckham,The Wizard of Oz, Norma Rae, Silkwood, If These Walls Could Talk, and Fargo

For this assignment, compare and contrast the way one social issue is portrayed in the novel The Awakening with the way it is portrayed in one or two of the above-mentioned films or another film that speaks to you in an important way in relation to Chopin’s work. 

For example, you could examine Edna’s suicide in contrast to Brooks’s suicide in The Shawshank Redemption.  Brooks was finally released after over 40 years in prison, but he could not cope in a world that had progressed without him.  Brooks could not live without rules and structure. His need for the assurance of a strict system of rules is illustrated when Brooks continually asks the manager in his new job if he can be excused for a bathroom break.  In contrast, Edna finds that she cannot live with rules and societal “structure” in a marriage she finds constricting.  In your analysis, you might conclude that while both characters ultimately chose similar fates, Brooks’s fate was based upon the fear of living without structure, and Edna’s fate was based upon the fear of living with structure.

There are other aspects to consider in this analysis, including how the roles of mother and wife, family, and sexuality have changed over time.

Choose one of the social issues from above and consider the questions below as you write your analysis.

1. What differences and similarities are apparent between the characters in the novel and your chosen film?  How do the characters react to their circumstances?  Do they grow or change in any way?
2. How does social environment play a role in how certain characters are viewed by others?  How would the characters be treated differently in another social environment?
3. Are we challenged to consider any commonly held social or political beliefs?  If so, how do the choices made by the author, director, or actors contribute to that process?
4. What conclusions can you make about societal values based on the portrayal of your chosen social issue?  What has changed and what has remained the same?
5. Explore your reactions to The Awakening and your chosen movie.  Did you empathize with any of the characters? Which situations stirred a personal reaction or response?  Why do you think you reacted as you did?

By Monday, August 20, 2012, post your response to the following prompt to this Discussion Area.

By Tuesday, August 21, 2012, respond to at least 2 of your peers

Policy Issues 

View the following Films on Demand videos: 

• Child Exposure to Domestic Violence 
• Format your work consistent with APA guidelines.
•  In this assignment option, you will express your thoughts and opinions regarding the content of your selected podcast in a short paper.

   

   

  Choose one of the two videos located in this week’s Required Learning Activities.

   

  Write a 1050- to 1400-word paper addressing the selected topic of your choice. Within your paper, be sure to address the following elements:

   

  ·         Was the content of your video a personal crime, property crime, or policy issue?

  ·         What causal factors were addressed in the video?

  ·         What policy implications or recommendations were provided in the video to address the crime?

  ·         Were budgetary or financial issues discussed in the video? If so, elaborate.

  ·         What future implications were discussed in the video?

  ·         What other content-specific information is relevant to your selected video?

  ·         What basic elements of the crime served as the basis for your selected video?

  ·         What criminological theory or theories best explains the occurrence of this crime or issue?

   

  Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Morals/ethics and human behavior

Imogene Badpenny is the supervisor for Grantham County Sheriff’s Department dispatchers.  Badpenny has worked for Grantham County for 16 years with a stellar work record.  Recently, Badpenny has started dating Mitch Dreadford who is known by local law enforcement as one of the biggest drug dealers in the county.  Dreadford has a previous felony arrest and served time in prison for the sale, distribution, and manufacturing of methamphetamines. Badpenny believes she is in love with Dreadford but is keeping her relationship a secret because of Dreadford’s past criminal history.  Badpenny would prefer to avoid any negative comments or being scrutinized by the officers or dispatchers that she works with because or her choice in boyfriends. Recently, Badpenny started dispatching part-time for the University City Police Department to give her extra funds to buy a new car. Mitch Dreadford lives in University City, which is located in Grantham County.  From time to time Badpenny, will visit Dreadford at his home.  However, Badpenny does not want the officers in University City finding out that she is dating Dreadford, so when she visits Dreadford, Badpenny parks her vehicle a couple of blocks away and then walks to Dreadford’s house. While working at both Grantham County Sheriff’s Department and University City, Badpenny has access to sensitive information like social security numbers, driver’s license information, and past criminal records.  In addition to all the personal information, Badpenny is allowed to view past and current criminal investigations from the officers and detectives.  During her 16 years of employment, Badpenny has never violated any departmental policies or procedures and rarely calls in sick.  Also, to obtain her position as a police dispatcher, Badpenny passed an intensive background investigation and a polygraph examination. 

Analyze the scenario above, applying at least four ethical concepts to this situation. Also, discuss whether this scenario would align with the beliefs of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, or Stoics – give examples. 

 (Need in 8 hours 100% plagiarism free CANNOT BE COPIED ALL ORIGINAL WORK!!!)

In this activity you are going to apply what you have learned this week about policy as well as apply what you have learned in this course so far to create a basic presidential campaign plan.

Imagine that you have been serving the past few years as the governor of your home state or a U.S. Senator representing your home state. You have done great work and face no challenge in winning the nomination of your party to run in the General Election. In your campaign plan, please address the following:

Part 1: Campaign Details

·  What is your home state?

·  What is your political party?

·  What is your campaign tagline or slogan? Almost all recent presidential campaigns have had a theme song. For example, in 1992, Bill Clinton used the song,” Don’t Stop,” by Fleetwood Mac. In 2012, Republican nominee Mitt Romney used the song, “Born Free,” by Kid Rock. What is your campaign theme song? Why did you select that song.

·  Select someone to be your Vice Presidential Running Mate. You can pick anyone that would eligible, per the Constitution, to serve as President. Why did you select this person to be your vice presidential running mate? How do they help improve your chances on winning the General Election?

Part 2: Your Issues

·  Select and describe two (2) domestic policy issues your campaign is advocating.

·  Why did you select these domestic policy issues to focus on? Use polling data from a reputable polling source such as pew research to support your decision.

·  For each domestic policy issue write a simple one sentence “elevator pitch” that you would use to easily communicate your position to the masses.

·  Select and describe two (2) economic policy issues your campaign is advocating.

·  Why did you select these economic policy issues to focus on? Use polling data from a reputable polling source such as pew research to support your decision.

·  For each economic policy issue write a simple one sentence “elevator pitch” that you would use to easily communicate your position to the masses.

·  Select and describe two (2) foreign policy issues your campaign is advocating.

·  Why did you select these foreign issues to focus on? Use polling data from a reputable polling source such as pew research to support your decision.

·  For each foreign policy issue write a simple one sentence “elevator pitch” that you would use to easily communicate your position to the masses.

Part 3: Your Strategy

Considering the Electoral College vote, which specific states would you campaign in? Keep in mind you have limited resources and that you can’t campaign in every state. Think about what states you would need to win in order to win the general election. Based on historical data, do you actually have a chance to win? Would you be able secure enough electoral votes to win the general election by these states.

To help you think about this part of the assignment you may want to find online and play with an “Interactive Electoral College Map.” Here are some website that you could use to help:

270 To Win

U.S. Election Atlas

Electoral College Interactive Map

2016: Make Your Prediction

Be sure to include a reference list of all sources that you used to complete your paper.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course.

FOR DISCUSSION QUESTION:

Answer with citation and refereces, No plagiarism.

 

Stacey has worked for lawyer Larry for the last five years in his home office. Stacey does everything for Larry – receptionist, bookkeeper, secretary, paralegal, coffee girl, and sometimes even taking his laundry to the cleaners. Stacey is smart and very good with people, and indispensible to Larry’s business. He sometimes took her to networking functions where she mixed and mingled with potential clients and talked up her boss. Since the economic downturn, some of Larry’s clients have gone out of business and Larry’s law practice has also suffered. Larry has told Stacey that if business does not pick up, he would have to reduce her work hours. Stacey had taken some online courses in accounting and in her spare time she has been studying the books to see how she can make the numbers look better. She inflated some billings and expensed some of Larry’s personal bills through the firm accounts.

Larry and Stacey began attending more functions to meet new potential clients. Stacey finds herself drinking and hobnobbing harder than ever before, sometimes staying on at the events even after Larry has left. One raw rainy evening just before Christmas, after several drinks, Stacey found herself one of the last to leave a party at the golf club. As she was getting her coat, she found herself in the empty cloak room where Brian, one of the potential clients she was talking to during the evening told her that she looked ravishing and offered to help her with her coat. What transpired afterwards would be described as inappropriate touching and some kissing. Stacey broke loose and ran to her car. Fumbling for her keys, she did not realize that she had dropped her smartphone in the parking lot. Understandably upset, she drove away hastily and, coming around a turn too fast down the dark country road, she crashed into a guardrail and passed out. A few minutes later, Meaghan and her one year old son, Sam were driving to pick up her husband (yes, that same two-timing Brian) from the Christmas party. Coming around the same turn, Meaghan did not see Stacey’s stalled car and slammed into it.  Sam was not properly secured to his car seat and was seriously injured. In all the turmoil over the past few weeks, Stacey had forgotten to renew her car insurance.

Meanwhile, Stacey’s smartphone was picked up by Brian. Feeling rebuffed by Stacey, he posted some personal, confidential and proprietary information of Larry’s clients from the smartphone on his website.

Larry and Stacey have come to you to ask what might be their various liabilities under applicable tort law and legislation.