Instructions
Applying Concepts Discussion Board posts all follow the same format. This is what you need to know to be successful.
In each discussion post, you must choose a news article about a social problem that relates to the readings for the current module. In your post, you will summarize the article, define a concept from the module and explain how it helps you understand the article. In addition, you must provide a proper reference for the article, ask your classmates a question for them to ponder and grade yourself! It might sound like a lot… but you will get used to the format.
You must also respond to two of your classmate’s posts.
Your post must include:
Put a question in your subject line: Your subject must be a conceptual question that you are attempting to answer and that will inspire your classmates to answer as well. By conceptual question, I mean that your question should relate to a key theoretical concept from the module. For example, “Why don’t we do anything to solve homelessness in Albany?” is not a conceptual question as it is merely asking for someone’s opinion. “Is the homelessness problem in Albany best explained by poverty or inequality?” is a much better question as it allows us to contrast two key course concepts. It is also a good question because we are likely to disagree on the answer and that makes for better discussions.
Select a recent article (no more than 6 months old) and summarize it in a 5-8 sentence paragraph. The article should be long enough – at least a few pages – that you have enough information to think about and summarize. It should relate to a social problem and a key concept from the module. The Gardner (2019) on voter fraud that I reference in module 1 is a good example of a substantial article that could be used.
Define the key concept(s) that you have chosen and explain how it (they) help you make sense of the event you are discussing in 6-10 sentences. It is in this section that you should attempt to answer the question that you stated in the subject, or explain contradictions that arise as you try to answer.
Include a complete reference for the news article.