Module Journal Guidelines

Journal activities in this course are private between you and the instructor. Journal activities are designed to help you make meaningful connections between the course content and the larger goals of this course. In particular, this Module Eight journal will guide you to see the practical consequences and effects that social problems can produce in the real world, both locally and globally. As we have discussed various social problems throughout the course, we have looked often at them individually, but researcher Richard Wilkinson helps to tie them together.

Watch Richard Wilkinson's TED Talk: How Economic Inequality Harms Societies. As a researcher, Wilkinson believes that the common thread between many social problems is economic inequality.

In your 250-500-word journal entry, address the following:

- Describe the social variables and determinants that are impacted by economic inequality.
- Where does the United States rank in terms of economic inequality and in terms of the prevalence of some of these issues?
- Does any of this data surprise you? Do you agree with Wilkinson? Has your thinking changed since we discussed this briefly in Module Two?