Week 5 Social Perspectives on Race, Gender, and Class

Unit 5 - Discussion Board

The purpose of this assignment is to help you reflect on and retain the information you have learned in this class. Write at least 3 paragraphs on the following:

• How have your perspectives about race, gender, and class changed after completing this course?
• What is one thing that challenged your pre-existing perspectives on race, class, and gender?
• How has this course impacted your perception of your future career? 
• How did participating in discussions help your understanding of the subject matter? Is anything still unclear that could be clarified?

Unit 5 - Individual Project

Some of the ramifications of social change in the United States include an influx of women into the workplace, same-sex marriage, an increased number of interracial marriages, online dating, and an increase in the number of children born outside of wedlock. What about the extensive use of body ink today? In the 1950s and 1960s, people sporting tattoos on their arms (much less their entire bodies) were stereotyped as trashy or up to no good. Today, acceptance is widespread, and it is common to see body art.

The list below briefly describes some recent social changes. Choose 1 that you may have difficulty accepting, and explain why. Note: If there is a different social change that you want to discuss, please consult your instructor.

• Interracial marriage
• Women in the military
• Same-sex marriage
• Adoption of children by same-sex couples
• Females as the family breadwinners
• Paternity leave for fathers
• Disintegration of the traditional family

Now, take an opposing viewpoint to the change you discussed, and prepare an argument as if you supported it. For example, if you oppose same-sex marriage, what might someone who supports it say? Does this perspective help you understand why someone would be in favor of same-sex marriage? Note: You must support your argument by including at least 2 academic resources.

Social change can be slow, but it is inevitable. Choose 1 facet of modern society with which you still have not adjusted, and respond to the following questions:

• How would you deal with someone who has embraced that lifestyle if you were to encounter him or her at your next job?
• How do you think you might approach work and life differently? Be honest and specific.