Introduction: Judgment and Moral Relativism . INTRODUCTION: This week we will examine moral relativism. Moral relativism is a difficult concept to grasp (Defined below). When faced with a moral dilemma, we are asked to resolve the issue by applying our individual moral standards to know what is the right thing to do; as well as, what is the wrong thing to do. Moral relativism tells us that the truth is subject to many influences including individual needs and desires, situational ethics, and a strong understanding of what is, and what is not the truth. For example, it would be unethical to accept or to define something truthful when you know it is dishonest. Under our system of government, our individual liberty is premised on the idea that the people have the ability to govern themselves. Perhaps the hardest question this course poses is, "How do you know what is the right and moral thing to do?" Often this question is posed in a theological or abstract ideal context. However, for most of us, this challenge will manifest in more mundane or operational aspects in our lives such as how to treat a co-worker, a neighbor, or raising our kids. Ultimately, we are asked to make a moral judgement. Our willingness to define acceptable behaviors from unacceptable behaviors help define the norms (or unwritten rules) of society. In our readings this week, Berkowitz and Moynihan write that citizens must be judgmental. As we learned from reading Adler's article on Truth, being able to differentiate the truth can be difficult. Adler write's that the pursuit is endless. He tells us that, "It is only in the realm of doubt that we can pursue the truth." Often, moral questions envelope conflicting values, such as a desire for security and the constitutional rights of others. Today, most Bellevue University students will probably anecdotally agree with the suggestion that America is less moral today than in the past. Often in spite the progress in institutional civil, gender and same-sex rights. During this phase, you will: •Articulate clear and concise messages to facilitate consensus on political issues. •Judge the viability of the features of diverse political ideologies and economic systems to advocate for a more just government. •Communicate expectations and encourage openness, transparency, and fairness to mitigate differences and achieve a mutually agreeable outcome. •Synthesize and analyze various policies and issues to judge more effectively political decisions. Video & Commentary: Judgment and Moral Relativism . "[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion...Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."—John Adams, signer of the Constitution and Second President of the United States https://youtu.be/8op1VGu-nvY Dragnet, TBMM, 2015 In the previous phase, we explored the role that morality plays in a free society. Specifically, we examine the long and complex relationship between organized religion, judgement, morality, and the necessary self-discipline that a democratic government asks of its citizens. As America rolled into the 20th Century, the role and expectations of government adjusted to the evolving society. American society was moving from the simplicity of Jefferson's agrarian economy to the more complex world of larger cities, industrial jobs, and pluralism. Low skill, low wage European immigrants were competing for jobs creating an anti-immigrant backlash in the form of Nativism and religious prejudice. Amid this era of progressivism, the role of government moved from a distant and dispassionate force to a proactive balance against the rise of the business sector and the social issues exacerbated by immigration, poverty and larger cities. These changes sparked the ongoing debate over the question, "What is the proper role of government in American society?" This debate is as vibrant today as it has ever been. On one hand, government has the ability to proactively mold society through laws, regulations, and taxes, reduce individual risk and delay, and be able to respond more quickly to the needs of society. On the other hand, a larger government is a stronger government which, as we learned from our readings by the framers and founders, poses the potential for a tyrannical threat to individual freedom. As Adams (above) and other founders indicated, they believed a moral society would be a more free society. As we learned last week, they believed that the moral self-discipline of religion played a role in creating a more moral society. Theoretically, the self-discipline of a moral person requires fewer laws that are designed to curtail bad behavior. A strong system of norms (unwritten laws of society) helps curtail bad behavior. Norms are developed by individual judgments of proper and improper behavior. At the same time, these non-inclusive norms gave little solace to those who were not a part of mainstream American society during this period including Roman Catholics, Native Americans, African-Americans living under "Jim Crow laws," and other ethnic groups of non-Anglo-Saxon origin. Moral relativism is a polemic argument between tolerance for individual liberty and the needs of a structured society based upon rules which protect the rights of members of society. Readings & Research: Judgment and Moral Relativism . Review the following Required Reading Articles: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/what-is-moral-and-how-do-we-know-it/ Commentary Magazine, James Q. Wilson 1993 http://ezproxy.bellevue.edu/login?auth=bb&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.41212064&site=eds-live Sen. D.P. Moynihan http://ezproxy.bellevue.edu/login?auth=bb&url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=4258788&site=eds-live W. B. Irvine http://democracyjournal.org/magazine/18/why-we-must-judge/ Roger Berkowitz http://public.callutheran.edu/~chenxi/Phil315_031.pdf Ruth Benedict, 1934 Review the following Required Research Articles: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/04/15/whats-morally-acceptable-it-depends-on-where-in-the-world-you-live/ Pew Research Center, 2014 http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/04/15/global-morality/ Pew Research Center, 2014 Read all sections, http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/#/11111111111 OECD Better Life Index http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/03/02/why-our-children-dont-think-there-are-moral-facts/?_r=0 NY Times, 2015 http://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/chapter-5-social-attitudes/ Pew Research Center, 2014 Videos: Judgment and Moral Relativism . Review the following videos: Human history is sprinkled with horrible examples of man's inhumanity to man: including the treatment of Native-Americans, Nazi concentration death camps or the internment of 'Americans of Japanese descent 'in domestic camps during World War II. Individually we often hear ourselves, or others, claim that they would never go along with such abhorrent and awful behaviors. Noted social scientist Stanley Milgram proves them wrong! That human willingness to follow authority can be deadly for ourselves and for others. https://youtu.be/fCVlI-_4GZQ Milgram Obedience Study, LiveWord? via YouTube!, 2011 In this Ted Talk Jonathan Haidt explores the "moral mind" and how individual beliefs and attitudes frame our world view. What's the difference between Conservatives and Progressives? Are we subject to our political stereotypes? How predictable are you? While helping Progressives understand how being closed-minded inhibits their understanding of the world, the host takes a few "swipes" at Conservatives. While the video is a good poke at everyone, if you are especially sensitive, you might want to abstain from this video. https://youtu.be/8SOQduoLgRw Jonathan Haidt: The moral roots of liberals and conservatives, TED, 2008 Respected journalist Bill Moyers interviews author Dr. Thomas Frank. The author suggests a theory that our class is influenced by morals and culture rather than economics. He suggests that voters in Kansas do not vote in their own individual best economic self-interest. Instead he discusses how social issues and the "great backlash" against cultural elites stimulate conservative voters. https://youtu.be/1zOVKTU4TJI Bill Moyers - Thomas Frank, Whats the Matter with Kansas July 9, 2004 - PBS_1, Start Loving-wage Love or die, 2010 How do you deal with a bully without becoming a thug? In this Ted Talk peace activist Scilla Elworthy maps out the skills we need as national and individuals to fight extreme force without using force in return. To answer the question of why and how nonviolence works the host evokes historical figures such as Aung San Suu Kyi (Burma), Mahatma Gandhi (India), and Nelson Mandela (South Africa). American civil rights leaders Martin Luther King also used non-violence techniques. https://youtu.be/mk3K_Vrve-E Scilla Elworthy: Fighting with nonviolence, TED, 2012 Watch It or Read It: In this video Roger Berkowitz visits his article on the need for human judgment. While society asks us to not be judgmental, the host in this video discusses how important it is that we engage in judgment. Berkowitz discusses how failure teaches us to become better humans. https://youtu.be/bXdZvo4Dx4E TEDxEastHampton - Roger Berkowitz - The Next Generation of Human , TEDx Talks, 2011 Use the assigned materials to better understand your own moral position. Taking a moral position requires one to judge what is good and what is bad. However, least we get overly sanctimonious; we want to know the basis for us to define right from wrong. If the nature of man is fallible, as many suggest it is, then using one's own definitions can quickly lead to moral relativism. The results of the Milgram Experiment (see video) demonstrate that under certain circumstances the average person is capable of great inhumanity (or rationalizing immoral decisions). According to the Milgram video, our readiness to comply with authority even when compliance results in an immoral act is a human behavior that is documented throughout time and across cultures. While Milgram's laboratory methods came under scrutiny, his results are accepted and help us understand man's proclivity of inhumanity towards others. For this assignment complete the following steps: Explore this website: http://amhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/non-flash/overview.html Try to place yourself in the role of a decision-maker who is deciding whether to place Japanese-Americans into internment camps. Recognize how complexity, Nativism, and fear lead to this result. Review the actual documents and arguments of the United States government in favor of incarceration. 1. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5730250 2. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/confirmed-the-us-census-b/ 3. http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/323/214.html Your assignment this week has two parts. Part One: Would you have agreed with the actions of the U.S. Government? Create a memo to then President Franklin Roosevelt explaining your position. Be certain to cite at three of this week's assigned reading articles as sources to support your position. Part Two: In the modern era, many Americans are (understandably) afraid of terrorist acts. What, if anything, can we learn from the actions of American society toward Japanese-Americans in the 1940s? Provide a short social media post (less than 10 sentences) that you could use to help frame the modern concern for Muslim-Americans based upon our historical experience with Japanese-Americans. Include this post at the end of your memo document. The challenge of this assignment is to recognize how easily societies can devolve into mob-like activities. Madison's Federalist Paper No. 10 and the Constitution tell of our duty to protect the rights of others. The Milgram experiment tells us that often "we" are perpetrators. The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work. 1.Remember, citing additional sources from previous weeks is a strong demonstration of learning. 2.Provide APA style bibliography. 3.Students are to use appropriate grammar and punctuation skills including APA in-line citations and quotation marks. Finally, review the presentations of three other students. Pose questions and provide feedback. The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work. Remember, it is your job as a student to demonstrate learning based upon the assigned course materials. Vocabulary: Moral Relativism: "Moral relativism is the view that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint (for instance, that of a culture or a historical period) and that no standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others. It has often been associated with other claims about morality: notably, the thesis that different cultures often exhibit radically different moral values; the denial that there are universal moral values shared by every human society; and the insistence that we should refrain from passing moral judgments on beliefs and practices characteristic of cultures other than our own." http://www.iep.utm.edu/moral-re/ Morality: "Beliefs about what is right behavior and what wrong behavior is. The degree to which something is right and good: the moral goodness or badness of something." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morality Additional Notes: This course uses plagiarism software. Assignments are submitted via' the link found at the top of the assignment area. This link will place your assignment on the appropriate shared discussion board as well as in your individual gradebook. Your instructor will provide unique and individual feedback in the gradebook. Providing feedback in the gradebook is a private communication between the student and the instructor. Your Professor will use this private forum to provide feedback to students on how to improve their performance. Grading: This course is designed in the Skills-to-Performance format. There are three components in the course. Each component is comprised of four phases. A phase represents one week. The assignments for the first three phases of each component are for skill practice and development. Each assignment grade in first three phases of each component is worth only five points. However, in the fourth week of each component students are expected to demonstrate skill mastery. In the fourth week of each component, the assignment points are much higher. The points for Week 4 (C1P5) and Week 8 (C2P4) are 100 points each. The Service Learning Project (SLP a/k/a C2P4) assignment is due in Week 12. The SLP is worth 200 points. The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work. Assistance: Students are encouraged to collaborate BEFORE writing their assignments. Each phase of the course has its own student led, non-graded discussion board. Students are encouraged to use this forum to seek or offer help, to discuss the course readings, to define the themes and topics of the articles and to discuss the assignment questions. However, you assignment is to be your own work. Another form of assistance is the voluntary, online synchronous KSS Tutorial. Check with your instructor for additional information. Introduction: Changing American Family . In this phase, you will read the 2010 PEW Research report titled, "The Decline of Marriage and the Rise of New Families." The authors contend that over the past 50 years the institution of the family has changed more than at any other time in history. To understand these changes, you will need to understand the history of the American family. Consider how expanded opportunities for women have affected the American family, and how changes in this institution emanated or reflect changes in society at large. Consider The Nineteenth Amendment (1920), as well as, the feminist movement and sexual revolution of the 1960''s During this phase, you will: •Judge the viability of the features of diverse political ideologies and economic systems to advocate for a more just government. •Define societal problems and analyze potential political and economic solutions to judge those that provide the greatest good for the greatest number. •Communicate with integrity, civility, and respect in visual, oral, and written communications. •Articulate clear and concise messages to facilitate consensus on political issues. •Communicate expectations and encourage openness, transparency, and fairness to mitigate differences and achieve a mutually agreeable outcome. •Synthesize and analyze various policies and issues to judge more effectively political decisions. https://youtu.be/sF4pYQ_5obk No gays in Iran says Ahmadi nejad, UNITY4IRAN, 2010 The definition of the American family continues to expand and evolve. The increase in single-parent households, same-sex couples and greater divorce rates signal some more apparent changes in the family unit. One might reasonably ask, "What is the interest of the government in the family?" For a myriad of reasons, the institution of the family has been a basic component of society. We often hear suggestions that the family is under threat by the rapid changes in the 20th Century. Readings & Research: Changing American Family . Review the following Required Reading Articles: Watch It or Read It: In this article author Elizabeth Cady Stanton uses the words, and importantly, emulates the argument that Thomas Jefferson used in the Declaration of Independence. In the article, Letter from a Birmingham Jail, King also employs the arguments Jefferson used in the Declaration of Independence. In both these articles, the authors suggest that society had not fulfilled the social contract and that because of this lapse society could not expect them (women, people of color, Colonists) to adhere to the terms of the broken contract. http://content.bellevue.edu/cas/la/400-410-420/id/kss/elizabeth-cady-stanton.pdf Elizabeth Cady Stanton https://youtu.be/wy8vtSmcp_4 Declaration of Sentiments by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, FULL audio books for everyone, 2012 http://search.proquest.com/docview/756461531/fulltextPDF/686280E2F7D342C7PQ/1?accountid=28125 Bert N. Adams, 2010 http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/11/18/the-decline-of-marriage-and-rise-of-new-families/ Pew Research Center, 2010 Read all 6 pages Review the following Required Research Articles: http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2015/04/09-race-assortative-mating-inequality-reeves Brookings, 2015 http://www.pewresearch.org/2011/04/08/new-facts-about-families/ Pew Research Center, 2011. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/09/24/chapter-1-public-views-on-marriage/ 2014, Read all 7 sections http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/interactives/marriage-market/ Pew Research Center, 2014 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/04/30/5-facts-about-the-modern-american-family/ Pew Research Center, 2014 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/17/census-bureau-proposes-dropping-some-marriage-and-divorce-questions/ Pew Research Center, 2014 http://www.people-press.org/2007/05/02/motherhood-today-tougher-challenges-less-success/ Pew Research Center, 2007 http://www.people-press.org/1997/05/09/motherhood-today-a-tougher-job-less-ably-done/ Pew Research Center, 1997 Videos: Changing American Family . Review the following videos: Two years before the USA, women obtained the right to vote in England. This audio clip discusses a unique artifact commemorating the English, "suffrage movement." Hear this audio clip regarding women's right to vote in England http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v73z9 Suffragette-deface penny, BBC The World Economic Forum published a report recently that says the United States finishes far from the top of a list when it comes to gender equality. American women finished 23rd on the list of 136 countries. Kathleen Gerson, a Sociology professor at New York University sheds light on the findings and the Nordic model of gender equality http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues-july-dec13-gerson_11-02/ Where do USA Women fair in Gender Equality?, PBS News Hour, 2013 Where do USA Women fair in Gender Equality?, PBS News Hour, 2013 Social protest for equal rights is not unique to our generation. This video explores women's pursuit of equality and the use of their First Amendment right to dissent. In 1920 the American suffragette movement resulted in the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. This turn of the 20th Century movement would serve as a model for future organized protest movements in American society. https://youtu.be/DZSVQD7nwAs Best Kept Secret: Suffrage in the 20th Century, Fairfax County Government, 2015 In this video Ryan Messmore explores marriage, the family and a good society. He examines the argument that government welfare programs have undermined the American institution of marriage resulting in a plethora of single parent households. Is marriage the cure to poverty? https://youtu.be/lFMCLShzNPk In this video Ryan Messmore explores marriage, the family and a good society. He examines the argument that government welfare programs have undermined the American institution of marriage resulting in a plethora of single parent households. Is marriage the cure to poverty? https://youtu.be/lFMCLShzNPk Marriage, Family and a Good Society by Dr Ryan Messmore, SAC Aust, 2013 View from 7:40 - 16:22 In this Ted Talk host Hanna Rosin explores how women are "taking control of everything." She discusses how women are dominating college graduating rates and other factors. While the historical debate suggests that women are subjugated to men, Rosin's presentation suggests that something amazing and unprecedented is happening for women on a global scale. https://youtu.be/7ZymFMmpOa0 Consider a current or former employer. A work supervisor has asked you to give a Power Point presentation on changes in the American family over the past 100 years (since 1920). Specifically, the supervisor wants to know how these changes might affect the company. This presentation should be no more than 12 Power Point slides including one slide for 'Sources Cited.' Each slide should contain no more than 25 words. You may use images including graphs or photos in your presentation. For example, will demand for services or goods change as the family evolves? How might your company adjust to meet the changing family lives of its employees? Will the company want to respond to this change in its marketing messages? Are there aspects of the company facilities that might need to be changed? Will new people or departments need to be added to respond to changes in the family? Will the skill sets of the company employees need to change? Be certain that your presentation is addressed to the intended audience and that the context (or reason) of your presentation is obvious. Since you want your employer to realize what a great asset you are to the company, be certain to provide as many references to credible researched sources as you are able in order to anchor your report in objectivity AND to make its content beyond reproach. (Cite no fewer than three sources from the assigned reading materials from this phase as well as one assigned reading article from earlier in the course). Students are expected to demonstrate learning by primarily utilizing the assigned course materials including articles, videos and research. Include the following items in your presentation: 1.A Thesis statement 2.Visuals. (charts, graphs, images), 3.No more than 25 words per slide, 4.Citations from a minimum of three assigned course reading materials from Week Eight. 5.A bibliography 6.Attempt to include topics from earlier in the course into this assignment. For example, consider how concepts like justice (King, Adler), equality (Jefferson), dissent (Madison), truth (Adler), judgment (Berkowitz), rights (Madison, France, United Nations) and values (Baker) might have an effect on the American family. Be certain to use APA style in-line citations to reference the assigned reading articles which embody these ideas. Additional Notes: This course uses plagiarism software. Throughout the course, students will submit their assignment work in two places. Students will post their assignment on the appropriate weekly discussion board. This is to encourage interaction and discussion among the students so as to enhance the learning experience for everyone. Be certain to provide a minimum of three substantive comments, each week, on the assignments of three different students. Students will also submit their assignments to the grade-book. This link is found at the top of the assignment area. Your Professor will use this private forum to provide feedback to students on how to improve their performance. Grading: This course is designed in the Skills-to-Performance format. There are three components in the course. Each component is comprised of four phases. A phase represents one week. The assignments for the first three phases of each component are for skill practice and development. Each assignment grade in first three phases of each component is worth only five points. However, in the fourth week of each component students are expected to demonstrate skill mastery. In the fourth week of each component, the assignment points are much higher. The points for Week 4 (C1P5) and Week 8 (C2P4) are 100 points each. The Service Learning Project (SLP a/k/a C2P4) assignment is due in Week 12. The SLP is worth 200 points. The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work. Assistance: Students are encouraged to collaborate BEFORE writing their assignments. Each phase of the course has its own student led, non-graded discussion board. Students are encouraged to use this forum to seek or offer help, to discuss the course readings, to define the themes and topics of the articles and to discuss the assignment questions. However, you assignment is to be your own work. Another form of assistance is the voluntary, online synchronous KSS Tutorial. Check with your instructor for additional information.