Assignment task: Social Groups and Economies
This week we explored elements of culture that are closest to us - social groups and households. We have seen in the textbook readings that there are both internal and external sources of conflict that arise from social groups and households. In your initial post, summarize a current event (within the past two years) that relates to ONE (or more) of the following topics: High school students in the United States are well known for their intense social dramas and tendency to form cliques. Summarize a news story that relates to the conflicts that arise within and among high school cliques. Economic systems are embedded in cultures and reflect cultural beliefs and values. In what ways do industrial economics reflect the cultures in which they operate and in what ways do they undermine some of the basic bonds of human social life? Summarize a recent news story that highlights the conflict that relates to differences in cultural values and beliefs as they relate to economies. Industrial agriculture was intended to insure that no one in the world would ever go hungry, and yet as you read in the newspaper, famines are common in the world today. Outside of natural disasters, what factors might account for the inability of industrial agriculture to meet its goals?