Unit #3 Discussion Board – due May 6

As you craft your  Discussion Board posts, please choose among the following possible questions to answer in your response. Choose to answer 3 of the following questions. You are not being asked to answer all questions. However, you MUST demonstrate that you have an understanding of at least 3 core concepts in Unit # 3 (Chapters 7, 8 & 29) by answering 3 of the below questions. You must also compose a statement that is at least 200 words in length. You are being graded on the basis of word length and your ability to demonstrate an understanding of 3 core concepts. Create one paragraph for each answer.

Chapter 7: Crime, Law, and Deviance

1.   Michelle Alexander wrote a book entitled The New Jim Crow, in which she argues that mass incarceration is effectively a new form of racial hierarchy that limits the advancement of people of color. How has racial profiling contributed to this trend? Do you believe policing practices such as stop and frisk are more beneficial to social order than harmful to specific populations? Explain your position using at least one specific example to support your discussion.

2.   White privilege emerged out of racial consciousness among whites and was later codified into slave codes during the 18th century. Does white privilege still exist in the criminal justice system? If so, how do whites and non-whites experience being labeled a criminal differently? Furthermore, why do you believe white privilege persists? Whom does it benefit most, and why?

Chapter 8: Power, Politics, and Identities

1.   In what ways do you see the history of exclusionary practices that prohibited the participation of people of color from voting affect voting practices today? What can be done to increase voter participation among historically marginalized populations?

2.   On a scale of 110, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best, how would you rate Donald Trumps presidency? Do you believe Donald Trump won the 2016 election because he appealed to specific political interests, or because he pandered to a specific racial group? Or, was there some combination of race, social class, and gender that resulted in his victory? Explain your response using specific examples to support your discussion.

3.   Describe the society in which you desire to live. How is power distributed? Do all people have equal access to all resources? Does anyone ever need for anything? Would capitalism be present? How would elections be held? Who would hold the most and least power? Which of the three sociological theories used to explain the distribution of power in society would be best to create the type of society you want to live in?

Chapter 9: Sports and the American Dream

1.   Do you believe that whites or non-whites are more encouraged to play professional sports by agents of socialization, including their peers, family members, people in their educational experience, and in the media? Are there certain sports that certain races are more encouraged to pursue? If so, why do you think this occurs? Explain your position using at least one example to support your discussion. 

2.   You watched brief excerpts from the lives and careers of Jack Johnson and Muhammad Ali and you learned about the demonstration of Black power politics at the 1968 Olympics and the Palestinian struggle at the 1972 Olympics. Discuss a similar intersection of sports and politics that affected you. How were you impacted by the social or political message that intersected with the sports world? Is sports an appropriate venue for communicating social or political messages?

3.   We spent time thinking through the social protests of Colin Kaepernick and the NFL’s resulting denial of future employment. What is your perspective on Kaepernick’s message and the NFL’s reaction?