Readings for Sociology 10033
Introduction to Social Problems
Fall 2015 [Course Completed]
NOTE: Readings will be posted at least a week or two in advance.
The culture wars 1: The struggles over gay rights, gay lives and gay marriage
Discussion questions: How do gays cope what is often seen as a stigmatized identify? What are the arguments for and against gay marriage? What conflicts, if any, are there between the rights of gays and the rights of Christians? With same-sex marriage now legalized, what problems remain for the LGBTQ community? Looking longer term, what struggles have gays historically faced? Do any of these issues have personal relevance for you - have you been to a gay wedding, do you know of a family that has been torn apart because a child is gay, do you have gay friends who are closeted because they are afraid of what others will say?
Ashley Crossman briefly summarizes Erving Goffman's theory of Stigma. Jason Orne applies the perspective to gays in Queers in the Line of Fire (pp. 229-234 are required, rest is highly recommended.)
He is one of the most famous Republican lawyers in the country. He represented George Bush in Bush vs Gore 2000 and then served as Bush's Solicitor General. His wife died in 9/11. And today, Theodore Olson makes the conservative case for gay marriage. According to recent polls, a majority of Americans - including more than 2/3 of young people but only 38% of blacks - agree with him.
Long time lesbian partners Martha Ackelsberg and Judith Plaskow explain why we're not getting married. Former Republican Senator Rich Santorum makes his own case against gay marriage.
In this 4 minute video, Ted Cruz speaks out in defense of religious liberty.
The American Sociological Association filed a court brief reviewing the evidence on gay marriage's effects on children.
Frank Bruni says Christianity and homosexuality don't have to be in conflict - but Thomas Williams blasts him for saying Christians must be made to embrace the gay lifestyle.
The legalization of gay marriage doesn't mean that the battles for gay rights are over. The NY Times notes that gays still face discrimination in employment and housing. Same sex marriage marriage may have been a great victory for mainstream gays, but Colin Walmsley worries about the marginalized members of the LGBT community left behind.
[Optional] In a widely cited study Texas sociologist Mark Regnerus questions whether same-sex families really are just as good for children. But Stephanie Pappas reviews the empirical evidence and argues that gay parents may be the best parents. The world's largest study on the children of same-sex parents says they are doing as well or better than the rest of the population on key health indicators. The complete ASA brief is harshly critical of Regnerus' work and cites the body of research that reaches different conclusions.
[Optional] Memories Pizza in Walkerton Indiana created a firestorm of controversy when it said it would not cater a gay wedding (something it had never been asked to do anyway) - and received $840,000 in donations as a result. An anti-gay group blasted JC Penney's Father's Day ad. But Avis went after the gay market while Gavin Ferlic argued that being gay-friendly was good for the local economy.
[Optional] John Harwood says that the vast majority of US corporations have already voted yes on gay marriage. A group of Notre Dame faculty and staff offer a Catholic Justification for support of the LGBTQ community.
[Optional-Video] In 2011 Barbara Bush (George's daughter) joined the ranks of Republican offspring who support gay marriage (here is her 22 second video) and Iowa college student Zach Wahls (3 minute video) made an impassioned appeal on behalf of his lesbian parents. In this short video clip, The Golden Girls made the case for gay marriage more than 20 years ago. Notre Dame Athletics says if you can play, you can play. Notre Dame graduate President Bartlett turns the tables on those who use the Bible to attack gays. Preacher Phil Snider gives a gay rights speech with an unusual twist.
[Optional] The Heritage Foundation makes its case against gay marriage. Gay activist Katherine Franke warns that same-sex marriage is a mixed blessing.
[Optional] Should the children of gays be allowed in Catholic Schools? The Archdiocese of Denver doesn't think so. Bill O'Reilly and Father Jonathan Morris debate the issue.
[Optional] In one of the most controversial sociological studies ever done, Laud Humphries examined the covert lives of closeted homosexuals in Tea Room Trade. Laura MacDonald did an update in America's toe-tapping menace.
[Optional] "Same-sex marriage advocacy has accomplished an amazing feat - it has made being anti-homophobic synonymous with being pro-marriage. It has drowned out centuries of critical thinking and activism against the racialized, colonial, and patriarchal processes of state regulation of family and gender through marriage. " If you want to see more of this pretty radical attack against gay marriage by gay scholars, take a look at Marriage Will Never Set us Free.
[Optional] Notre Dame used to be ranked as the most LGBT-unfriendly school in the country by the Princeton Review -- but in 2015 ND suddenly dropped out of the top 20. Maybe it was because in early 2012 members of the 4 to 5 movement said It Needs to Get Better at Notre Dame -- and then in late 2012 the University responded by making major changes in LGBT policy.
The culture wars 2: The battle over abortion and reproductive rights
Discussion questions: Has the feminist movement universally supported abortion rights? What are the arguments for saying that abortion is or is not a form of genocide against blacks? What strategies are effective and ineffective in reducing abortion? Is it acceptable or not acceptable for Catholics to support pro-choice candidates and/or organizations like Planned Parenthood? What have been some of the controversies at Notre Dame surrounding abortion (Obama is the obvious example, but there are many others). Why was George Tiller a hero in some people's eyes and a baby killer in others? Why was the Tebow's seemingly innocuous Super Bowl ad considered so controversial? Why do some object to stem cell research while others strongly support it?
How did Susan B. Anthony and other early feminists feel about abortion?
There are ongoing battles over whether or not abortion should be legal - but according to one study, across the world, abortion rates are the same whether it is legal or not.
It is called "screening" but George Will says it is really a search and destroy mission in the attack on kids with Down Syndrome. Time notes that the life prospects for those with Down Syndrome have never been better - and the ability to abort them has never been greater.
Georgia Right to Life touched off a firestorm of controversy when it launched a campaign claiming abortion is the primary tool in a decades-old conspiracy to kill off blacks. But Linda Greenhouse says Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress, would strongly disagree.
In 2004 Arts & Letters Dean Mark Roche said we should vote our conscience and not our religion and made the case for John Kerry. Douglas Kmiec is a conservative legal scholar, a former law professor at Notre Dame, and a past advisor to Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney. But in 2008, he said Sorry McCain. Barack Obama is a natural for the Catholic vote. Catholic scholar Nicolas Cafardi, former dean of the Duquesne Law School, argued that in 2012 Barack Obama was more Pro-Life than Mitt Romney. But Charles Rice and George Weigel made it clear that they had major disagreements with pro-life Catholics who voted for pro-choice candidates.
John Saveland explained why he's pro-life and supports Planned Parenthood. But Ross Douthat fiercely disagrees and says there is no pro-life case for Planned Parenthood.
View Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow's seemingly innocuous Super Bowl ad that ignited a national controversy. Pam and Bob Tebow expand on their pro-life beliefs and their decision not to abort Tim despite the great risks. But William Saletan countered with what he called the grisly truth about the ad.
Bill O'Reilly called murdered abortion doctor George Tiller Tiller the Baby Killer, but Barbara Shelley claims he helped thousands. William Saletan asks troubling and provocative questions in Is it Wrong to Murder an Abortionist?
Barack Obama's March 2009 decision to expand federal funding for stem cell research exposed sharp religious divides on the issue.Parkinson's victim Michael Kinsley explains what pro-lifers are missing in the stem cell debate.
[Optional] CNN offers some Fast Facts on Roe V Wade.
[Optional] In September 2014 Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis - revealed that she had had two abortions for medical reasons, causing religious leaders to debate is there a Christian Case for Abortion Rights? A former activist explains How I lost faith in the pro-life-movement. (A little long and extremely one-sided, but it does a very good job of summarizing many major arguments).
[Optional] In the views of alumnus Paul Witkowski, On abortion, Notre Dame gets only marginal grades. Professor Ralph McInerny claimed that Notre Dame forfeited its right to call itself a Catholic university when it invited Barack Obama to speak at commencement. Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln said he was "utterly appalled" by Omaha native and ND President John Jenkins' "absolute indifference to the murderous abortion program and beliefs of this President of the United States." Professor Richard Williams had kinder words for his fellow Nebraskan.
[Video-Optional] Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argues that, for the women of the world, abortion should be legal, safe, and rare.
[Optional] Nancy Reagan and Arthur Caplan praised Barack Obama's March 2009 decision to expand federal funding for stem cell research.
[Optional] Studies from the Guttmacher Institute offer facts on induced abortion in the United States and worldwide, and also examine the reasons US women have abortions.
[Optional] Sister Margaret McBride was excommunicated for agreeing to an abortion that probably saved a woman's life. Pro-life Catholic Julianna Baggott and columnist Nicholas Kristof defended her.
[Optional] In Leeches, Lye and Spanish Fly, Kate Manning warns about the dangers of illegal and unsafe abortions. Personhood USA counters that a baby is not the worst thing that can happen to a rape victim -- an abortion is.
[Optional] Some said "The poster child jumped off the poster" when Norma McCorvey (Roe of Roe V. Wade) decided to become a volunteer for Operation Rescue. Columnist Margaret Carlson is pro-choice - but even she isn't comfortable with Partial-Truth Abortion.
[Optional] Religious groups, scientists and doctors debate whether some popular forms of contraception cause abortions.The New York Times reviews the scientific evidence and concludes abortion qualms on the morning after pill may be unfounded.
[Optional-Video] Professor Richard Williams & Father Jonathan Morris debate Barack Obama's visit to Notre Dame. Richard Williams and Randall Terry offer their opinions of each other. [NOTE: I hesitate to include videos of myself, partly because I don't like how I look but mostly because I don't want anyone to feel like they have to agree with what I say. You are free to take whatever positions you want so long as you can defend them.]
[Optional-Video] In this one minute clip, Dr. Willie Parker, the only abortion provider in Mississippi, is confronted by an angry protester. In one of the most memorable moments of the ND Obama protests, Father Norman Weslin was arrested for defending the unborn.
Blacks Lives Matter 1: Minorities and the criminal justice system
Discussion questions: What is the new Jim Crow? What are the arguments that support or refute it? How have the lives of blacks allegedly been affected by it? Is the Black Lives Matter movement making legitimate claims or is it distracting from the real problems faced by black communities? What have your own experiences (if any) with the police been like - do you tend to view them as friend or enemy?
NOTE: The October 2015 cover story for The Atlantic is entitled "The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration." The issue is supposed to be available online on Sept. 15th, 2015. I may add excerpts from the issue once I can access them.
In On the Run (later expanded into this highly acclaimed book) Alica Goffman argues that the threat of imprisonment (often for minor infractions) has disrupted the lives of young black men in Philadelphia.
In this excerpt from her book The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander claims that, thanks to the criminal justice system and the war on drugs, we have not ended racial caste in America - we have merely redesigned it. She further summarizes her argument in this article from Mother Jones.
The Sentencing Project examines the causes and consequences of racial inequality in the American criminal justice system (selected excerpts; the complete report is linked to below).
R.L. Stephens argues that mass incarceration is not the new Jim Crow and that black leaders were complicit in the rise of the prison system. Heather MacDonald contends that the criminal justice system is not racist and that the high percentage of blacks behind bars reflects crime rates, not bigotry.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani accuses Obama and Black Leaders of stoking anti-police hatred. Veteran police officer Sunil Dutta defends the police and says that in the overwhelming majority of cases it is not the cops, but the people they stop, who can prevent detentions from turning into tragedies. But former police officer Reddit Hudson claims that many of his peers were racist and violent and knew they could violate rights with impunity. Radley Balko counters Giuliani and says there is no war on cops and that those who claim otherwise are playing a dangerous game.
African-American grandmother Peggy Hubbard's scathing attack on black lives matter went viral. If you want to watch it, here is her profanity-laced video. (She later apologized for the language but not the sentiment).
RedState is a very right-wing web page -- but contributor Leon Wolf says Many Conservatives are Blowing it on the Ferguson DOJ report. Erick Erickson, the editor of RedState, makes a similar argument in Ferguson is not Binary.
[Optional] The New York Times maintains a chronology of stories on Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings.
[Optional] Rolling Stone presents what it claims are 11 racist police killings with no justice served.
[Optional] Here is the complete Sentencing Project's Report on Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Criminal Just System.
[Optional] The ACLU says the 40-year war on drugs is not fair and it is not working.The drug policy alliance offers a fact sheet on The War on Drugs or The New Jim Crow?
[Optional] Retired physician and author David Hilfiker offers his useful and detailed summary and review of The New Jim Crow. [Note: some of the language may be offensive but overall it may be a more complete summary of the book than the excerpts in the required readings.]
[Optional] Conservative writer Rich Lowry expressed similar sentiments to Peggy Hubbard when he said for progressives, only some black lives matter.
[Optional] These pictures from Katrina sparked controversy over how black and white crime are depicted.
[Optional-Video] In this highly acclaimed 16 minute March 2015 TED talk, Alice Goffman discusses how we are priming some kids for college - and others for prison. In these September 2015 short videos the Atlantic looks at The Enduring Myth of Black Criminality and Mass Incarceration, Visualized. Time permitting, we will view one or more of these videos in class.
[Optional] Alice Goffman's On the Run is one of the most highly acclaimed Sociological books in years. The New York Times hailed it as "A remarkable feat of reporting . . . The level of detail in this book and Goffman's ability to understand her subjects' motivations are astonishing--and riveting." But in summer 2015 several critics started questioning her honesty and ethics. Here is a very detailed attack and a much shorter one. Goffman wrote a reply to her critics but Steven Lubet said she just raised even more concerns.
[Optional] In President Obama's Department of Injustice, Alec Karakatnis blasts the Obama administration for keepings tens of thousands of poor people languishing in federal prisons on illegal sentences.
[Optional] The Ban the Box Movement aims to end structural discrimination against people with conviction and incarceration histories, primarily in the areas of hiring and housing policy. This video explains the movement. To learn more, check out the campaign's web page. However, businesses have expressed concerns about the movement.
[Optional] Debra Dickerson writes Know your Enemy: Heather MacDonald. Some of the reader comments (especially the first one by Michael Cohen) are much better than the article itself. MacDonald makes a powerful case in her article about the criminal justice system not being racist but some of the comments provide strong counter (or supporting) arguments.
[Optional] The New York Times (April 2015) says that, because of early deaths and incarceration, more than 1.5 million black men are missing.
[Optional] A 2015 study says mass incarceration did not lower the crime rate.
[Optional] Facebook was torn by controversy when the Notre Dame Women's Basketball team declared I can't breathe.
[Optional] In The Underpolicing of Black America, Jill Leovy says that police are better at stopping African Americans at random than they are at halting an epidemic of murder. Jen�e Desmond-Harris says that, for black communities, being both harassed and ignored is a bad combination.
Blacks Lives Matter 2: Racial Inequality in Health Care, Education, and Housing
Discussion questions: How do implicit and explicit biases result in differential treatment by race? In what ways is inequality promoted by features of the American systems for education and housing? Do you agree or disagree with Lareau's claims about the importance of parenting styles on educational success? Do the readings make you think of ways that you have either been advantaged or disadvantaged because of your race or social class? Are there aspects of the readings that you strongly agree or disagree with? What types of policies might lead to improvements (and why are some of them controversial?)
Several studies suggest that African American adults and their children receive less effective health care than their white counterparts - and their doctors may not even realize it. Racial stereotypes & a lack of minority doctors and condescending communication with patients may be among the reasons.
Annette Lareau, David Brooks, and Melvyn Fein offer conflicting views on Lareau's book "Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life". In the book Lareau argues that racial and socio-economic differences in parenting styles affect success in school and in later life.
In 2001 Adam Gamoran summarized the Reasons for Racial Inequality in Education (pp. 137-top of 142 are required; rest of article is recommended). A 2014 Department of Education study revealed that there are still major racial inequalities in schooling.
So what should be done about inequality in education? Both corporations and the service academies have expressed support for affirmative action policies. But Roger Clegg blasted the Obama administration for supporting racial preferences in university admissions.
In a fascinating case study, Kevin Fox Gotham shows how segregation was developed and reinforced in Kansas City in Building the Troost Wall. Pp. 108-126 are required, rest is recommended. [NOTE: You don't need to take super-detailed notes on this -- I mostly want you to see how racial discrimination in housing worked in practice.]
It used to be that minorities were denied mortgage loans. Later they got them, but often with unfavorable or even predatory terms. Richard Williams and colleagues discuss these shifts in The Changing Face of Inequality in Home Mortgage Lending. Pp. 181-190 and 199-204 are required. The rest is recommended.
[Optional] Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition - thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. The goal of the organization is to educate the public about hidden biases and to provide a "virtual laboratory" for collecting data on the Internet. You can take one of their tests here. You can share the results if you want to but you don't have to. Give yourself around 10-15 minutes when you won't be distracted or interrupted.
[Optional] Maureen Hallinan offers a more detailed discussion on Sociological perspectives on black-white inequalities in American Schooling.
[Optional] Annette Lareau extends her work on Unequal Childhoods in her 2014 ASA Presidential Address Cultural Knowledge and Social Inequality. For still more see her book Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life
[Optional] Joe Feagin explores the causes and consequences of excluding blacks and others from housing.
[Optional] In 2009's One Stroke of the Pen Richard Williams briefly outlined the decades-long struggle to end racial discrimination in housing.
Wealth, Poverty and Inequality I: The Problems of the Poor and how they Cope with them
Discussion questions: What are the problems of the American poor? What are some of the ways that the poor try to cope with poverty, and why is it so difficult for them to do so? What are some of the specific examples that you find particularly striking? How has poverty become a multi-billion dollar industry? [Note: some of the readings are qualitative and long but they are entertaining to read and it isn't hard to grasp their major points.]
The World Hunger Education Service overviews Poverty and Hunger in the United States.
In 2014 Barbara Ehrenreich wrote about how it is expensive to be poor. She speaks from experience - she tried working for several months as a poor person and wrote about it in Nickel and Dimed.
In Working the System that is working her, Jennifer Friedman and Laurel Graham describe how one woman dealt with poverty and all the obstacles it presented her with.
Andrew Jabobs reviews Sidewalk, where Mitchell Duneier discusses how he spent five years examining the lives of poor book vendors in New York. We'll see a documentary based on the book. Excerpts from the book are in the optional readings.
Linda Tirado was poor herself -- and she explains why she thinks poor people make bad decisions.
German Lopez challenges 11 myths about homelessness in America.
Gary Rivlin describes how payday lenders and others have helped to turn poverty into a multibillion dollar industry.
Jared Bernstein discusses $2 a day, the book by Edin and Shafter that claims America's Poorest are getting virtually no assistance.
[Optional] Child Trends assesses Child poverty in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
[Optional] Here are excerpts from Mitchell Duneier's book Sidewalk.
[Optional] Here is the hour-long video for Sidewalk. You may or may not need to download it first (1.3 GB). It is in mpg4 format and is freely available. Here is the whole DVD (7 GB, in iso format) which has some extra features if you want it.
[Optional] William Julius Wilson reviews Edin and Shaefer's book $2 a day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,
[Optional] Eden & Shaefer describe one survival strategy of the poor -- Donating Plasma.
[Optional] Gary Rivlin says more about Fat times for the poverty industry.
[Optional-Video] In this humorous, profane, but also accurate clip, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver discusses Predatory Lending. Warning: Language is a bit crude at times. The Center for Responsible Lending has some more conventional but also very good videos.
[Optional] In South Dakota a decoy petition over payday lending is being used to distract attention from a legitimate one. Here is more on the South Dakota fight against payday lending. Other stories (courtesy of Reynold Nesiba, one of the organizers in the anti-payday lender fight):
Wealth, Poverty and Inequality II: The Problems of the Middle Class
Discussion questions: Why do some people say the middle class is collapsing? What factors are supposedly contributing to this collapse? What causes middle class families to go bankrupt, and what effect does bankruptcy have on their lives? Do you agree with Elizabeth's Warren on the problems of student debt, and what should be done about it? Why might others disagree with you?
Mike Snyder says that low wages are killing the middle class.
The middle class is shrinking as more people are falling out rather than moving up. Conservatives and liberals disagree about income inequality but both are concerned about the lack of upward mobility in the United States. Robert Reich warns that a weak middle class hurts everyone, including the rich.
Jesse Miler discusses The Disappearing Black Middle Class.
Elizabeth Warren outlines why middle-class families go bankrupt. Deborah Thorne explains why many find it hard to make a fresh start after bankruptcy. Thorne further discusses how financial distress affects families, especially women.
Elizabeth Warren says $1.2 trillion in student loan debt is keeping young people out of the middle class, and describes what she thinks should be done about it. [Note: The article is only a few pages long. But, I left the comments in, in case you want to skim through them. A lot of people agree with Warren while others have no sympathy for students whatsoever!]
[Optional] In this 2012 report, Elizabeth Warren and Deborah Thorne update how bankruptcy is affecting the middle class.
[Optional] Some companies are moving their operations back to the United States -- but according to Alana Semuels, those jobs aren't providing the work and security they once did.
[Optional-Video] In this hour-long YouTube video, Harvard's Elizabeth Warren discusses The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class. A little slow the first 5 minutes but very interesting and informative once it gets moving. Watch this on your own if for some reason we don't show it in class.
[Optional] Allison Shrager says that Bernie Sanders' plan for free colloege tuition is a terrible idea.
[Optional-Video] This 6 minute video graphically depicts Wealth Inequality in America.
[Optional-Video] Elizabeth Warren argues that nobody got rich on their own in her famous one-minute You didn't build that speech.
Health and Health Care Problems
Discussion questions: Why is obesity such a concern, and who should get the blame for it? What are other major health problems facing the United States and the world? What effect did George Bush's policies have on world health? Why did some feel that ObamaCare was needed, what effect is it having on health care, and what are the controversies still surrounding it? What challenges do colleges face when dealing with suicide? What are your own thoughts on the health problems college students face? Why have vaccines become such a major source of controversy? Likewise, why do some object to the ways the battle against breast cancer is being waged?
We are used to hearing about malnutrition as a problem - but recent studies warn that increasing numbers of obese people worldwide could lead to a "global tsunami of cardiovascular disease". David Zinczenko says don't blame the eater - blame the fast food companies that are marketing a product with proven health hazards and no warning labels. An economist offers his theory as to why we are fat.
Sarah Richards outlines how colleges are struggling with ways to treat suicidal students.
He may not have been the most popular president in the United States - but in Africa, George Bush is praised for helping to save millions. Nicholas Kristof adds that America can be proud of Bush's efforts to battle sex trafficking and HIV.
Nearly 47 million Americans lacked health insurance before Obamacare was enacted, including many members of the middle class. In 2007 Robert Pear discussed how, for many of them, Without Health Benefits, a Good Life Turns Fragile. Sociologist Jeffrey Pfeffer tries to set the record straight on health care reform. In 2015 Paul Krugman said Hooray for Obamacare. But the Wall Street Journal says we need to repair the Obamacare wreckage.
Vaccines have been a subject of hot debate in recent years. A simple graphic shows how Vaccines have changed the world. Steven L. Weinreb pleads For the Herd's Sake, Vaccinate. Blogger KATETIEJTE describes the worst things people say about unvaccinated kids while L. Shaka counters with The worst misconceptions parents of some unvaccinated children hold.
Breast cancer is one of the leading killers of women worldwide, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure is among the groups that have been battling it. But cancer survivors Barbara Ehrenreich and Peggy Orenstein are among those who criticize the way the battle is being waged.
[Optional] CBS News (video) reports in March 2008 that the life expectancy gap between the haves and have-nots is growing . Further, younger Americans die earlier and live in poorer health than their counterparts in other developed countries. But Charlene Gaino has some good news for men - the gender gap in longevity is narrowing. Juan Williams points out that homicide is the #1 killer of young black men.
[Optional] In an area where women may not want to achieve equality, Jane Brody warns that smoking's gender gap is closing. Sheila King elaborates on the hazards of smoking for women.
[Optional] In a rather depressing piece, Time Magazine explains Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin. Paul Campos claims that a recent study proves we have an absurd fear of fat but others disagree. In the Culture of Corpulence, Claudia Kalb argues that American innovations in food, transportation, and technology are threatening to supersize us all. Sam Ali argues that the food industry profits while society pays and that the food industry is following big tobacco's playbook.
[Optional] Amanda Schaffer offers more thoughts on the dilemma of suicidal college students.
[Optional] Several studies suggest that the quality of health care you receive likely depends on your skin color.
[Optional] Recent studies show that hospital billing varies wildly in the US. Professor Gilbert Welch thinks we should be outraged about the cost. Just revealing the prices for health care can help. But Paul Krugman expresses optimism over health care costs because of the Medicare Miracle.
[Optional] Incredibly high bills for child birth, asthma, and colonoscopies are among the reasons the United States leads the world in health care costs.
[Optional] Sharon Begley discusses how vaccines (unfairly) became villains in the autism debate. A pediatrician claims to debunk the most common misconceptions about childhood immunizations. Counter to the fears of some, the HPV vaccine does not seem to affect sexual behavior; further it is lowering teenage infection rates, A British investigation says the Wakefield Autism Study was an elaborate fraud that continues to damage public health.
[Optional] Karen Springen asks why are HPV vaccine rates so low? Maybe it is because some feel the HPV vaccine isn't safe even though health officials claim it is.
[Optional] Food, shelter and clean water are what aid agencies emphasize. But if we really want to battle some of the biggest killers of children worldwide, Rose George says we have to get over our squeamishness and send in the latrines.
[Optional] A 2005 study showed that 53% of African Americans believe that medical and political authorities are withholding an AIDS cure from the poor - and those conspiracy beliefs may be hindering HIV prevention. The United Nations gives a 2014 Fact Sheet on AIDS.
[Optional] The New York Times elaborates on how Susan G. Komen for the Cure became a fundraising superpower and on the criticisms and praise it has received.
Gender Inequality and Gender Roles
Discussion questions: Christina Hoff Sommers has declared that there is a "war against boys." What does she base her claims on? In what ways are men disadvantaged compared to women? Why do some counter that the "Boy Crisis" is a myth? Similarly, why does Hannah Rosin ask if we are seeing "The end of men?" What arguments support or refute her claims that modern postindustrial society is better suited to women? In what ways are women still disadvantaged, and what are some of the reasons for those disadvantages.
Many feel that schools shortchange girls. Not Christina Hoff Sommers. Indeed, she thinks there is a War Against Boys [excerpts]. Judith Warner, on the other hand, says the Boy Crisis is little more than a myth.
Women are now the backbone of the economy, says Kate Snow. In The End of Men, Hanna Rosin reports on the unprecedented gender role reversal now under way and its vast cultural consequences. [Pages 7, 8 and 13 are required; the rest of the article is highly recommended.] But Stephanie Coontz attacks The Myth of Male Decline.
Christina Hoff-Summers and Jillian Berman debate the accuracy of the often made claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns.
Employed women are working a Second Shift when they get home, says Arlie Hothschild. Demographer and ND graduate Suzanne Bianchi, on the other hand, finds remarkable gender equality in total workloads.
Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, attributes the gender gap in corporate leadership to chauvinism and corporate obstacles -- but also, in part, to women who don -t aggressively pursue opportunities. Eve Tahmincioglu counters that women are doing all the right things but they still lag behind men.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic asks the age-old question Why do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?
[Optional] Even children's toys have become part of the battleground over gender roles. Organizations like Let Toys be Toys and No Gender December are battling against the gendered marketing of toys. Goldie Blox offers award-winning construction toys for girls. Here is the ad that helped to put Goldie Blox in the national spotlight. Even Barbie has come a long ways since the 1990s. However Target created a firestorm of controversy when it announced that it would stop labeling toys for boys or girls. Luckily an outside volunteer going by the name of Ask ForHelp chimed in on Facebook to help with outraged customers.
[Optional] In her 2013 op-ed piece The Boys at the Back, Christina Hoff Sommers updates her arguments on the war against boys.
[Optional] Why are boys so unruly? It is in their nature, says Christina Hoff Sommers, and efforts to make them more docile and emotional are misguided.
[Optional] Jennifer Britz apologizes to all the girls she has rejected - for admission to college. But apologies are not enough, says Richard Whitmire. He says women are discriminated against in college admissions and they ought to sue. The week of Jan 14, 2008, NBC Nightly News ran a series of stories and videos entitled The Truth about Boys and Girls, covering many of the same topics covered here. See especially the videos on college admissions.
[Optional] On September 20, 2011, Hanna Rosin, Christina Hoff Sommer, and others participated in a debate entitled True or False: Men are Finished. And the winner was... The video (One hour and 49 minutes) is great if you have time to watch it. Time permitting, we will show excerpts in class. But Hanna Rosin faced much more formidable opponents in this 5 minute debate.
[Optional-Video] In these TED videos, Michael Kimmel explains why gender equality is good for everyone. Elizabeth Nyamayaro offers an invitation to men who want a better world for women.
[Optional] The late Suzanne Bianchi received her Master's Degree from Notre Dame. Her New York Times Obituary covered some of the highlights of her life's work on gender roles.
Battles over Racial & Ethnic Identity
Discussion questions: Why is the coding of race and ethnicity so difficult and controversial? How meaningful and useful is the concept of race to begin with? Why are there conflicts and disagreements over what race somebody is? How useful or harmful are the ideas of racial and ethnic identity in today's American society?
This seemingly innocuous Census Questionnaire is related to a lot of controversy over how race and ethnicity are handled by the federal government.
In three is not enough, scientists debate whether or not race is a useful concept.
In one drop of bloody history, Ellis Cose notes that Americans have always defined themselves in terms of race.
Rachael Dolezal created a firestorm of controversy over the meaning of race when she claimed to be black - and her parents disagreed.
Some claim that Barack Obama isn't the first black President - either because there were other black Presidents before him or because he isn't really black.
Slate examines when and how the word Negro became taboo.
[Optional] For the first time ever, minority babies will be in the majority in 2010.
[Optional] In I'm just who I am, Jack White argues that the way Americans think and talk about race will have to catch up with the new reality.
[Optional] MSNBC reports that multiracial Americans are surging in number and voice. The NY Times says that when it comes to choosing white, black or Asian, more young Americans are choosing all of the above. But Lauren Williams explains why she thinks biracial means black.
[Optional] Nicholas Kristof further explores the question Is race real?
[Optional] The NY Times offers the latest statistics on interracial marriage. In love and race, Nicholas Kristof reports that instead of preying on people of different races, young Americans are falling in love with them.
[Optional] The New York Times details the path by which the descendant of a white slavemaster became First Lady of the United States.
[Optional] An African American mother tells her biracial children Don't be black on my account.
[Optional] The Census Bureau offers several facts and figures that are relevant for African American History Month 2014 and Hispanic Heritage Month 2014. For more on Hispanics, see the Census Bureau Report on The Hispanic Population 2010.
[Optional-Video] In this 15 minute TED talk, Anthropologist Nina Jablonski explains how differences in skin color developed -- and the health and social consequences that have resulted.
[Optional] Jen�e Desmond Harris offers 11 ways race isn't real. The three minute video with the article summarizes a few of her arguments.