DISCUSSION QUESTION

"Identifying Truth or Fiction" Please respond to the following:

• The video clip ‘The Baloney Detection Kit' in the Webtext this week discusses ways an effective critical thinker assesses claims made by others.

• Examine key reasons why people might seem attracted to pseudoscience-type claims.

• Describe at least two (2) such claims that you have heard people make, and analyze the main reasons why such claims do or do not meet rigorous scientific methodology standards.

• Determine at least two (2) ways in which the material discussed this week has changed your own thinking.

DISCUSION QUESTION

Please respond to one (1) of the following:

1. Social Mobility: In this week's Strayer Story, Ron Finley emphasized that his urban gardening is not really about the food. Instead, he wants to show people that they can design their own life instead of accepting what has been designed for them.

• Social mobility refers to our chances of moving up or down within the American class structure.

• What do you think is the most important factor that leads to upward social mobility?

• How could Ron's efforts help people's chances of upward social mobility?

• What else did you learn from Ron's story?

2. Explaining Stratification: In this week's Strayer Story, Ron Finley talked about discovering how his neighborhood differed from nearby wealthy areas when he was growing up.

• Conflict theory says that stratification results from lack of opportunity and from discrimination and prejudice against the poor, women, and people of color.

• How would you explain Ron's story from a conflict theory perspective?

• What else did you learn from Ron's story?