Part I:

Initial Post: Write 100 words within the Discussion Board responding to the following questions. Create a substantive and clear post expressing your research, thoughts, and ideas:

1. Have you ever experienced living in a socialist or communist society?

2. If so, explain your experience.

3. If not, share how do you view or imagine a socialist or communist society? Would you want to live there? Why or why not?

Response Posts: Create a 100-word response to at least 2 of your fellow classmates by replying to their Initial Post regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. Please consider the following questions when responding:

1. Do any of the student's statements make you reconsider your position? If so, which ones made you change your mind?

2. If not, what additional points can you make to directly refute your peer's statements?

3. What did you learn from your classmate's posting?

4. What clarification do you need regarding the posting?

Part II:

Cultural perspective based on social, political and economic status can, in reality, be thought of as a theory of why a person from a certain cultural background will behave or react in a particular manner. These theories are used to explain the cultural identity of an individual in simplistic terms. These differences are further utilized to quickly pass judgment on another person without getting to know who they on a personal level. In short, people use cultural generalities to place an individual into a "box."

When the theories of cultural perspective are combined with the philosophies used to create a "social contract," more complex patterns within a society emerge. This is because a "social contract" is created between the people and their governing body. It incorporates the certainty that the governing body only exists to serve the will of the people, and the people are the source of all political power enjoyed by the governing body.

Library Research Assignment:

Understanding a culture is not as easy as characterizing it based on common behaviors. In fact, a culture can be defined in a multitude of ways. One way is by examining how the people interact with their governing body. The goal of this assignment is to choose one culture and explore its "social contracts."

Write an essay of 3-4 pages (cover page and work cited page not included), answering the following questions:

1. Describe the chosen culture in terms of its social, political, and economic structure.

2. Explain how this cultures development has been effected by its "social contract" over time.