Travis' Work

"The Market and Your Decision to Go to College"

The market for higher education is determining the key questions of what gets produced, how it is produced, how much is produced, and who gets how much.

Start your discussion by responding to these questions:

• Why do you think that more and more students are going to college when, in fact, the price of a college education is increasing? (Be sure to use the models of supply and demand to explain your answer.)

• In what ways have changes in the job market influenced your assessment of the value of an education? (Do you have more choices or options?)

"Looking Closely at Cost and Competition"

Watch this video, Revenue, Profits, and Price: Crash Course Economics #24, to help you prepare for this week's discussion.

Reply to the following prompts by using the company for which you currently work, a business with which you're familiar, or the dream business you want to start:

• Do you think it's easy for your selected business to enter this same industry?

• What are some key fixed, variable, implicit, and/or opportunity costs?

"Juvenile Delinquency Interventions"

Using what you've learned this week, respond to the following prompts in your post:

• Think about the following questions: Do rational people commit crimes? Do they choose to commit a crime? Are they intelligent? Do they aim to maximize pleasure and minimize pain?

If someone believes all of these questions they most likely would agree with choice theories. Speculate on the school of criminology choice theories are derived from. Next, based on your selection of school of criminology, debate whether or not you agree with these theories. Justify your response.

• A number of studies have been undertaken which show a very real connection between delinquent and /or criminal behavior, and single parent families.

Wright and Wright's (1994) research shows that single parent families, and in particular mother-only families, produce more delinquent children than two parent families.

Indeed the very absence of intact families makes gang membership more appealing (Muehlenberg 2002). Based on this information, discuss whether or not you believe these statements are true or false. Provide support for your response.

"Once a Delinquent, Always a Delinquent"

Using what you've learned this week, respond to the following prompts in your post:

• The labeling theory emphasizes the significance of society's response to the criminal, and points to the process through which a person is defined as a criminal as a significant contributory factor in determining future criminality.

Using the Internet, examine the career and life of an entertainer that is frequently in the spotlight due to deviant or criminal behavior.

(For example, Miles Teller, Robert Downey, Jr., Travis Scott, Chris Soules, Chief Keef, Soulja Boy, Justin Bieber, R. Kelly.) Next, discuss labeling theory and social process theory as it applies to your chosen entertainer. Provide examples that support your response.

• Some criminologists believe that a person is born a criminal. If this was true what should our society do with the "born criminal"? Justify your response.

"Body Image" Please respond to the following:

• Debate It - take a position on this statement: Media cause individuals to develop negative and unrealistic body images. Support your views with two or three reasons and / or examples. (Cite any sources you referenced.)

• Debate It - take a position on this statement: Males and females are both targeted about body image to the same extent by advertisers. Support your views with one or two reasons and / or examples. (Cite any sources you referenced.)

"Do Video Games Encourage Sexist Behavior?" Please respond to the following:

• Discuss one or two conflicting issues involving the view that video games encourage sexist behavior.

• Debate It - Take a position on this statement: Violent video games encourage sexist behavior in adolescent and adult men. Support your views with two or three reasons and / or examples. (Cite any sources you referenced.)

"Influence of Video Games on Violent Behavior" Please respond to the following:

• Discuss one or two conflicting issues involving the view that video games encourage violent behavior.

Reflective Journal 1: My Views on Mass Media or Effects of Advertising

Write a 3/4 to 1 page journal entry (300 to 500 words) in which you:

1. Describe one or two (1-2) experiences with mass media (movies or television) that affected you positively or negatively, explaining when, how, and why.

2. Complete the page requirement.

3. Write with clarify, following mechanics and formatting requirements.