journal for ultimate_writer
Journal-1A
The three topics that I might be so much interested in discussing include affirmative action, economic inequality and sustainable development. It is clear that the three topics will influence each other in one way or another and the selection of either would certainly incite the review of the other two and many more that are not mentioned in this case. The elements to be researched in these three topics are as well closely related if not similar. These include aspects such as how the two sides, including the minority and the majority, perceive the topic of affirmative action. The minority are always viewed as the sole beneficiaries of the affirmative action but I would like to look into the direct and indirect benefits that result from this approach of minimizing economic inequality and enhancing sustainable development.
The main reason I am so interested in these topics is the huge impact they have on the overall welfare of the society. I look at these topics as one being the problem, the second one being a remedy and the third one being the ultimate result. Economic inequality is a problem facing the whole world. How does eight people as reports in the recent weeks suggested possess wealth equivalent to that of half the world population? Affirmative action is one of the measures that most states have adopted to economically empower the less fortunate. Is it a sound approach to promoting the economy? What are the achievements? Finally, my interest is built on how sustainable development can be achieved to ensure that poverty is alleviated.
This module has been so much resourceful for my general knowledge about humanity. I have had to revisit my initial thoughts about some of the issues that bug the welfare of humanity such as stereotyping that contributes heavily to other vices such as racism and discrimination. Among the ultimate outcomes are economic disparities along the racial lines and lack of sustainable development in the long run. The most inspiring piece has been the TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her talk was based on the view that the world has about Africa as a continent, failing to realize that Africa is made up of individuals, each with a different story. I looked at the articles and videos on human rights and social justice from diverse perspectives and not only in line with what their facilitators applied them.
This was not the only interesting thing in these resources. The elements of the topics I selected keep on arising and one question that come to my mind is; what has been the barrier to achieving economic equality and sustainable development after years of government efforts to implement the two? The videos and articles have presented social justice as an element of every aspect of human life across disciplines such as law, psychology, politics and national policies and philosophy among others. The interaction of the social and the economic inequalities that are rampant in the society is another interesting concept as far as sustainable development aided by the respect of universal human rights is concerned. I can pick out all these elements from the articles.
The three topics I selected are among the primary determinants of human rights and social justice. Affirmative action has remained to be a contested issue on different fronts with different individuals and groups either supporting or disapproving its efficiency in promoting the equitable distribution of wealth, privileges and opportunities for the minority groups. The following are the questions that I feel are yet to be explored in as far as social justice and human rights revolving around my three topics are concerned
What has been the measurable impact of affirmative action in promoting sustainable development in the society
If affirmative action has not been effective in alleviating economic disparities, what other approach can replace it to enhance sustainable development in our society?
Jouanal 1b
There exist a broad range of research skills that individuals possess and employ them in the studies they undertake. However, one cannot claim to possess all the skills but rather may be having a strength in a particular set of competencies. In this module, I have gained some skills and improved on some that I already possessed. To start with the skills that have been fortified during the time I have been studying this module is my eye for details and communication.
Picking a Topic Is Research
The video on selecting a research topic has revealed one of the most helpful piece of information for a very critical stage in research. Before covering the various elements of this module, I looked at the topic selection as a matter of coming up with a research problem with an appealing title. It, however, comes out clear that selecting a topic to research on calls for more than just a problem statement but also ensuring that the information one seeks is available. The case provided shows the setbacks of having so much and as well little information from which one can formulate a hypothesis. The major lesson, in this case, is to come up with a topic that remains within the boundaries of my area of interest and one whose sources are valid. Another element learned from this module is that to initiate a research topic, one has to start with what they already know. This means that initial studies are pivotal to the success of the succeeding research and the one being carried out may just be a tool for other studies to come. This I believe is what has led to research being termed as a cyclic affair. Therefore, the preceding studies would play a huge role in establishing a research topic.
One Perfect Source
The sources of information in conducting research in most case prove to be a challenge. In the video, I learned that there is no single perfect source of research information as much as a similar study has been undertaken and its literature existing. I found out that a holistic approach is a barrier to drawing the significant information and thus breaking up the concepts in one’s topic would be critical in obtaining information that one can later bring together to come up with the findings and conclusion. I also learned that the sources might vary from scholarly to non-scholarly and they can be employed depending on their relevance to the topic of discussion.
Keywords
In research that concerns affirmative action, I would embark on the benefits that the majority gain to ensure that those against it are aware of what they might forego in case the policy is withdrawn. From the resources I came across in this module, I learned that coming up with keywords require identifying words that will help in obtaining the information that a researcher needs. Therefore, I think keywords should follow the topic so that the researcher can make it easier for themselves in browsing the sources. In my case, the keywords would include;
Affirmative action
Discrimination
Diversity
Inclusion
Equality
Opportunities
Preferential treatment
Race
I learned that one keeps on developing their research findings around the topic and may find themselves obtaining information that instead leads to more inquiries. I also learned that the investigation does not limit one to the findings that they make from the existing sources or raw data from the field but rather gives room for logical thinking. This thinking is thus critical in developing a topic that is, however, subject to approval by the relevant authorities. Through brainstorming, I learned that I could break down my topic one stage after the other to come up with the most suitable topic of inquiry and whose sources will be easier to use. Unlike development of keywords, brainstorming to come up with the appropriate research topic was new to me, and this module was helpful realizing that.
Journal Week 2
After learning about the selection of a topic and determining the sources from which one can gather the required research information in the previous weeks, in this week I have learned that there is still so much to these two elements of a study. Among additional skills that I have attained in the course of this week include the use of primary and secondary sources, concept mapping and more details on how one can narrow their topics of research. These skills among others are further elaborated below.
Reflect on the new research skills you are learning
As had been indicated earlier, my primary area of interest as far as researching is concerned is affirmative action as applied to the modern society. It is a contentious issue in the society. From the skills I have attained in this module, I learn that the topic is too broad and thus have to come up with a specific aspect of affirmative action to research on. Brainstorming is one of the approaches I employ to come up with the most suitable topic of research. The first thing is to find out what I know about affirmative action, how it affects me either directly or indirectly. Next is looking at the issue from different perspectives including how the minority and the majority view it.
At this point, I realize that the majority have always looked at the affirmative action as a government’s means of supporting the minority at their expense. However, the government has gone ahead to implement it and so the benefits may be outweighing the setbacks. But what are the benefits of this policy to the majority? This is the point at which I decide to carry out research that is aimed at unveiling the benefits of affirmative action to the majority. Through the mind-mapping skills that I have attained, I try to connect the various concepts of the affirmative action including its history and background, principles, the disapproval it faces and the logic behind it, its efficiency among other concepts.
Another area in which I improved is the selection of the keywords and the research sources. The keywords to be picked have to contribute to the various concepts that come up in the brainstorming and the mind-mapping. Thus I reviewed the earlier selected keywords to come up with a list that I felt most suitable to unveiling the information I need for this research topic. Some of the additional words include: class rank; First-generation status; racial preferences; minority; and economic preferences. The reason for reviewing the keywords is to enhance the specificity of the information that I gather towards achieving the goals and objectives of this study and thus its success enabled by the availability of the sources of information.
Reflect on what new content you are learning.
Upon visiting the primary and the secondary sources as directed in this module, there is a wide variety of content as far as affirmative action in the society is concerned. As earlier mentioned, my topic would be based on the perception that the majority has on affirmative action. In my search, I figured out that according to SOMEONE, the policy was adopted to promote the place of the minority population in the education and employment fields. At this point, I realize that my topic is still broad and thus gathering the information would be harder. Therefore, I opt to concentrate on affirmative action as perceived by the majority in the education system, and precisely, the benefits they reap from the policy.
The policy’s main purpose had evolved from a tool to minimize discrimination among the underrepresented minority population, to a strategy to empower these population. According to research conducted by the New York Times concerning the diversity that comes with the policy, it was found that regardless of the race, affirmative action positively contributes to how people think and thus makes them brighter.
References
Sheen S., Starkdec D. (2015) Diversity Makes You Brighter. Available at https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/09/opinion/diversity-makes-you-brighter.html?_r=0
The Leadership Conference. (2015). Affirmative Action. Available at http://www.civilrights.org/resources/civilrights101/affirmaction.html
Proposal:
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY ALONG THE RACIAL LINES IN THE USA
INTRODUCTION
It is evident that the economic inequality in the USA and the modern world as a whole keeps on increasing by the generations. This aspect is characterized with the rich people getting richer and the less fortunate in the society not doing any better compared to their counterparts. Economic status of individuals and the populations in the society being crucial for other aspects that determine the wellbeing of the affected people, I intend to unveil the real image of the economic inequality and propose means by which the trend can be reversed. The main goal of this research will be to determine the factors that have contributed to the increase in economic inequality in the USA. The specific objectives of the research will be unveiled in the research questions to be discussed later in this paper.
REASON
As earlier mentioned, the economy of a nation is a huge determinant of other aspects such as health which is conversely integral to economic empowerment. The main reason behind the selection of economic inequality as the major topic of study was the recently reported gap between the poor and the rich. According to New York Times on January 16th, 2017, the eight richest people in the world own as much wealth as half of the world’s population in the lower half of the income. In the year 2016, similar wealth was held by 62 highest earners indicating an alarming increase in the gap between the rich and the poor. Unlike most of the other nations across the world, race is itself a determinant of wealth in the USA as it is clear that the white majority are more economically empowered compared to their colored counterparts, more especially the African American, on whom this research will focus most.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research questions that I intend to use in coming up with a clear image on the extent of economic inequality along the race lines include:
What is the current state of the economic inequality along the racial lines in the USA compared to other developed nations?
What are the overall impacts of the stated economic inequality including social and political impacts?
Why has economic inequality increased along the racial lines in the USA despite the measures in place?
What measures can enhance equitable economic empowerment across all races?
KEYWORDS
Economic inequality, the level of education, the white people, the African Americans, employment opportunities, economic empowerment, economic policies, socioeconomic class, poverty, households, income distribution.
WORKPLAN
To complete this research in time and prepare the findings, I have developed a work plan that involves utilizing an hour for any of the three weekdays to collect the information required and 2 hours on Saturday for writing the week's findings. This will allow me to access the resource centers such as the libraries that may not be operational on weekends.
SOURCES
The primary source of information that I need to complete this study are the library texts that touch on the socioeconomic effects of economic inequalities and also the academic journals that unveil the current status of economic inequality. The primary sources and their previews are provided below.
Wodtke, G. (2016). Social Class and Income Inequality in the United States: Ownership, Authority, and Personal Income Distribution from 1980 to 2010. American Journal of Sociology. 121(5), 1375-1415. doi: 10.1086/684273
In this article, the skewed economic status of the USA has been highlighted over a period of time, with 2013 being the year termed to have been the highest since the great depression.
Mode, N. A., Evans, M. K., & Zonderman, A. B. (2016). Race, Neighborhood Economic Status, Income Inequality, and Mortality. Plos ONE, 11(5), 1-14. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154535
In this research article, the impacts of economic inequality between races in the USA has been portrayed from different perspectives including the other rights that are curtailed by the current state of affairs. These rights include the rights to live as access to health is inhibited leading to a higher morbidity and mortality rate being reported among the African Americans.
Gans, H. J. (2016). Reducing Economic Inequality: A Bottom-Up Approach. Challenge (05775132), 59(2), 148-152. doi:10.1080/05775132.2015.1137718
The authors of this report highlight some of the sound approaches that can be employed to ensure that the less fortunate in the society are empowered economically to minimize the gap that currently exists in the access to the resources. The author suggest a bottom-up approach that has been successfully employed in other areas can as well suit the purpose of minimizing the economic inequality in the USA.
