Content Description

• America professes to be a country that allows all faiths equal voice when it does not.
• Legal bias to christian values
• Historically america has had a bias toward christian white males
  • in terms of black christians
  • gay americans
  • women
  • native americans
  • those practicing another faith

Working Hypothesis 1:

In America there is a strong focus on portraying the country as providing a shelter from religious persecution with a strong resistance against tyranny to provide a safe place for all people.

All groups that are not described as christian white males in america are in some way prioritized less and face some version of oppression. Although a common mantra in america is “land of the free” it is constantly proved otherwise in the way Americans view and treat others that deviate from the norm. Historically there has been systematic targeting of groups that do not fit the mold of the standard american man.Christian ideals are also taken into account more so than any other faith in America even making its mark on legislation.

Contemporary Paganism : Minority Religions in a Majoritarian America by Barner-Barry C

Historically Christians throughout the world like most religions try to assume dominance when dealing with other faiths. This was no different in early America as Christians proselytizes those that have opposing views. The government of the United States itself has protected and promoted this kind of hegemony. Human beings naturally have the ability to differentiate between groups, christians did the same and in early America but considered all those that disagreed with the christians as being evil and on the side of destruction. Those that took their religious very seriously often did not think about the reality that other religions could coexist and often had ideas that led bigotry. These ideas were important to the American identity and tried to maintain the norm of christianity.

Working Hypothesis 2:

Christian ideals have shaped how the the United States operates from legislation that is even passed down and to social norms.

Christian virtues are evident in how gender roles and heteronormativity are easily accepted and identities that do not conform are often ostracized. During the civil rights movement for gay rights the main opposition for rights for the LGBTQ communities were christian ideologies that conflicted with the movement.

There has been  a mini Evangelical Reformation, as more studies of immigrant religion have come about. Groups were put together in study if they have similar class structures, identities,when they immigrated and religious practices. Different ethnic groups had different motivations for being christian and there involvement with the religion helped lay the framework for tensions that would later take place in America. Other ethnic groups even those that identified as christians were treated differently because they did not fit the idea of what an American is supposed to be.

Definition/Classification Statement 

The main goal of my second hypothesis is narrow down the topic to focus on one particular instance of christian hegemony.

Cause and Effect Statement

There are clear examples of how christian ideals are lauded over other identities in this paper  I will

-show how other identities are not represented

-those that go against christian ideals are persecuted against

Rebuttal Statement

It is not an obligation of white christian americans to conform and change society for other identities.

Current state of research

Im gathering information on sources to find specific points in history where christian hegemony is present and will explain my point accordingly.

Content Descriptions

• Social media networking sites are dangerous to children and teenagers.
• Facebook is the number one social media networking site in the world.
• Facebook is also were child offenders look for prey and try to take advantage of those they find they can communicate and get information out of.
• Parents are unable to monitor their child’s every movement causing them to browse and explore things they might be ready for on the internet.
• Children have unlimited access causing them to end up on certain websites, talking to people they would not talk to in person and don’t actually know.
• Teenagers care more about the amount of followers and “friends” they have on social media but they are not actually looking at who is following them.

1. Working Hypothesis 1

The children and teenagers of this generation have unlimited access to the internet. They are able to get online and check social media at the tip of there finger. Although the internet can sometimes come in handy there are many dangerous sites out there. Facebook has become somewhere you can contact old friends and family members, yet when meeting new people online you never know if the person on the other end is showing there true self. Teenagers are so caught up on how many “friends or followers” they have they are accepting everyone and not realizing they might be adding someone that can be a threat. Many child offenders look online to find children and teenagers have might give too much information or post an excessive amount.

American Psychological Association. “Most Internet Sex Offenders Aim At Teens, Not Young Children, Study Shows.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 February 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218185101.htm>.

Most Internet sex offenders pose as young kids to attract the same age group.They lure children to meeting them, with the child thinking they are meeting someone the same age as them, they then kidnap them and forcibly raping them.

Working Hypothesis 2

Child offenders are everywhere especially online. A parents first instinct is always to protect there child but they can only do so much when their children are online talking to people they don’t know. It is crucial to express the dangers of online sites especially social media like Facebook. Offenders are constantly looking for children and teenagers they would describe as “weak” or those that put too much information on there page. Teenagers do not think twice when posting things and believe that they will not be the one this will happen to. In reality it can happen to anyone and we don’t realize it until it is to late. It is extremely important that we protect ourselves as much as possible when on Facebook. When on sites like Facebook we want to be friends with people that we know outside the virtual world and talk to in real life, we also want to be aware of the things were posting, for example we want to avoid any personal information on where you live or your location and what time you will arrive.

O’Donnell, Andy. “Know the Dangers of Oversharing on Facebook.” Lifewire. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

When oversharing on Facebook we want to shy away from any personal information that can get us into trouble. It is extremely important to protect ourselves online and those in our lives. Offenders and stalkers have easy access to see what they want, when they want.

2. Topics for Smaller Papers 

• Defintion/Classification Argument 

For this I can express the dangers of Facebook. I can state that most of the internet users today are the younger generation thinking they can cause no harm being on social media when in fact it is completely the opposite.

• Cause/Effect Argument 

I can explain that teenagers care about the amount of followers and friends they have so much that they are not looking at the people they are accepting. They are accepting people who look friendly and cause no harm but can be dangerous and putting up a false front. They are accepting those that they don’t know or would not talk to in people or might have never seen before. This causes offenders to make a fake profile and add someone they believe might be an easy target because of the things they post.

• Rebuttal Argument 

I could argue that even though parents are telling there kids the dangers of online sites, they don’t listen. How else can we warn children and protect them when they refuse to listen and follow rules.

3. Current State of Research Paper:

I believe I need to do more research now that I have focused strictly on this one topic. With the research that I have found now I strongly believe I can find more great articles and data  that I can come up with a great counterintuitive argument.

1. Content Descriptions

-America has become the land of the rich

-America is deemed the land of the free, however it is not quite so

-There is oppression on multiple racial groups, gender, and cultures

-The first Amendment is under attack, which is a key component of the land of the free

-The “all men are created equal claim”  is false for almost everyone in America, as it is false os multiple ways

Working Hypothesis 1

It seems counterintuitive that America is deemed the land of the free. America prides itself as the land of opportunity, where in actuality America is the land of oppression. America has been oppressing people for generations over race, gender, and many other scenarios. Groups have been forced to do things, for the betterment of society supposedly.In actuality its simply discrimination. Almost everyone has been affected by this oppression at one point or another in this country for many different reasons. Oppressing, and revoking freedoms has been a hallmark for the land of the free, which makes that claim so counterintuitive.

Purposeful Summary

This article discusses the many types of oppression that exist in today’s America. It also pinpoints that we as a country still haven’t done anything about it. Gender, race,religion, and sexual orientation play a major role in how one is treated. A homosexual can still be fired for being who they are. Women are paid 70 cents to the dollar. Racism is still evident in the country, and the article also discuss that males are discriminated against. Men are subject to genital mutilation at a young age, and have no other choices. Whistleblowers, both right and left winged are being attacked by the government for simply voicing their opinion. This article showcase that everybody is subject to oppression in this country. Even Christian white males, even though to a lesser extent are being oppressed.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/america-land-of-the-oppressed-home-of-the-cowards

Working Hypothesis 2

America has deemed itself the land where all men are created equal, however that is not quite so. Today in America money rules all, and only those who have it can prosper while the poor have a sever disadvantage. The land of equal opportunity is not quite so, as opportunity is determined by money. Take for example President Trump.He has been very successful in many business venture throughout his life. He got the start from receiving a million dollar loan from his father. If he didn’t receive that loan, he probably would not be the wealthy man he is today (or the leader of the free world). Advantages like these truly determine the success of the individual, not talent or hard work

Purposeful Summary

This article discusses the extreme poverty a in America, and what needs to be done in to fix it. There is a huge problem with income inequality in America. Half the jobs pay less then $34,000 a year.There are many in the 1% who make that in a day. Higher paying jobs need to be restored in the country in oder to  cut into the poverty rate. This poverty have signifially less opputuities to be successful so they often can’t get out of poverty. Poverty causes a lot of the unequalness, and fixing this can set America in the direction of truly the “land of the free”

2. Topics For Smaller Papers

Definition/Classification Argument

For this I can show the average salaries of college educate Americans and non college educated Americans. I can also show the average salaries of these college educated workers parents. by this, I can try to pinpoint how of a disadvantage the poor have as compared to the well off. The wealthy can afford college in oder to prosper, where the poor can’t so they get stuck in a rut.

Cause/Effect Argument

I can show that creating disadvantages for people because of race, gender, or wealth not only creates a less fee country but a toxic environment. This toxic environment creates problems for all people, no matter the race or wealth.

Rebuttal Argument

Even with its flaws, America is still the greatest country in the world to prosper. Many other nation give no rights to people. America gives all its citizens many rights that other countries don’t have. Many of the poor citizens here, would be considered rich in many other countries.

3. Current State of Research

I am trying to get a good mix of both left and right winged sources. Researching both sides of the political spectrum is important so I am not completely biased in my essay. I also am trying to get a good amount of sources the counter my arguments, which I am finding difficult. I also need to get stats and facts to help back up some of my arguments. So I defentily have more research to do.

Content Description

Factors Surrounding the Murder of Kitty Genovese

-Number of Witnesses

-Uncertainty

-Police relations

-Sleep Deprivation

The Bystander Effect

Homecoming Gang Rape in California

Working Hypothesis 1

The murder of Kitty Genovese is well known in the field of psychology. Her murder has inspired research on the bystander effect. The bystander effect is believed to explain why the witnesses didn’t intervene. This is a oversimplified explanation.  The bystander effect had a much smaller effect on the witness than previously believed. Their were far less witness than what is widely believed and it is likely they didn’t know or understand what was happening. The timing also affected the way the witnesses acted. Getting woken up in the middle of the night means that they wouldn’t have normal brain functions. People that are sleep deprived are cognitively impaired and have lower levels of empathy. The gang rape in California provides a much stronger case for the bystander effect. The witnesses had a good view of the rape and fully understood the situation. They could have easily made a phone call and stopped the rape. There is no other explanation for their actions other than the bystander effect.

Working Hypothesis 2

I could take a more extreme stance and try to disprove the bystander effect entirely. I would need to find a flaw in the smoke filled room experiment and come up with an explanation for the gang rape.

Definition/Classification Argument

I could write about how the bystander effect is used to wrongly explain the Kitty Genovese Murder. This might be too close to my main argument.

Cause and Effect Argument

I could talk about how the relationship between the police and their community impacts the how many crimes are reported and how much their community trusts them. The police highly criticized during the civil rights movements. They took steps to try to strengthen their relationship with their community. There was also police corruption that weakened trust.

Rebuttal Argument

A common argument is that 38 people were aware of the murder. In reality, the number was closer to 7 and those 7 were not sure what was going on.

Current State of Research Paper

My research is still lacking but I believe there is plenty of evidence. The Rowan wifi has been down all day which stopped any research I can do and made this white paper less developed than I planned. Now that it is back up, I can get back to researching and add to this paper.

Animal Rights vs Medical Research

When it comes to research for medicine, researchers have found the need to use animals in order to find out how the chemicals would affect humans. Now, when it comes to medical research, laboratory animals have been getting harder and harder to get. Many animal rights activists are finding ways in order to decrease the number of animals being harmed. It seems counterintuitive that medicine is being created to help humans but at the same time harming animals in the process. There could be another way to find out the results of medicine rather than testing these harmful toxins on innocent animals. Many have said if they knew a certain type of medicine was injected into an animal they would not have gone through with the injection. On the other hand, people look back and are glad the medicines have gone to any extent because without these findings, they would not have been alive for many more years

Animal rights activists have been speaking out about the unnecessary treatment of animals for medical research. Researchers have the ability to use a different technique that prevents animals was being harmed. Their bodies are being left to ……. It seems counterintuitive that medicine is being created to help humans but at the same time harming animals in the process. There could be another way to find out the results of medicine rather than testing these harmful toxins on innocent animals. What makes researchers continue damaging animal’s bodies when there is a cheaper and easier way.

Regan (3), Tom. “The Case for Animal Rights.” Springer. Springer Netherlands, 01 Jan. 1987. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

o   Toxicity test that are used on animals are against their rights.

o   Medical research, such as cancer, is not against their rights.

o   In order to get the law to protect the rights of animals, we must believe a change can happen.

o   We allow the research to happen because we are viewing them as resources.

“If We Don’t Use Animals, Wouldn’t We Have to Test New Drugs on People?” PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

• Just because medicine is tested on animals, does not necessarily mean that it is safe. It cannot accurately say what it means for humans.
• “In addition to saving the lives of countless animals, alternatives to animal tests are efficient and reliable. Non-animal methods usually take less time to complete, can be conducted at a fraction of the cost of the animal experiments that they replace, and are not plagued with species differences that make extrapolation difficult or impossible.”

o   Talks about how other options are available

“Animals in Medical Experiments.” PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

o   “monkeys are addicted to drugs, cats are deafened and have holes drilled into their skulls, sheep and pigs have their skin burned off, and rats have their spinal cords crushed”

o   The effects of a few tests show the outcomes of what the animals are left with.

Society, New England Anti-Vivisection. “Animals in Science /….” Product Development and Drug Testing. New England Anti-Vivisection Society, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

o   Use animals for testing because they are “little humans”.

o   False, the past decades have shown that the opposite is true—animals respond differently and unpredictably.

o   No anesthesia or analgesics

o   Tests usually used:

o   Draize test-“measures the eye irritancy of chemicals and other products by dropping concentrated amounts of a test substance into an animal’s eye (often albino rabbits, who are docile and inexpensive) and then assessing the eye’s reactions using a subjective numeral score to indicate the level of eye damage and injury—i.e. degree of swelling, redness, ulcerations, etc.. In addition to redness and ulcers, rabbits also experience bleeding and blindness in these experiments. In most instances, the conscious animals are immobilized in full body restraint stocks and remain anaesthetized for up to 14 days for evaluation”

o   traditional LD50 (lethal dose 50 percent) test forced animals, often rats and mice, to ingest chemicals to determine the dose that resulted in the death of 50 percent of the animals

ARGUMENT:

• there are different ways to test chemicals and medicines rather than on animals
• there are easier and cheaper ways

o   why are they not being used?

• funding/money issues?

COUNTER ARGUMENT:

• animals are a useful “resource” to figure out the results of certain medicines
• have a chance of having the same effects as humans
• researchers prefer this method than any other

OUTCOME:

The outcome of this paper will include me figuring out a reason why animals are continuing to be used for medical research, when there is no reason for them. The outcome of their “research” only harms then when there is a solution for them not to be used altogether. I hope the figure out the reasoning why they further use this method.

Content Descriptions

• Places like SeaWorld have no educational value
• People are forced into thinking that SeaWorld is beneficial to children
• Watching whales perform tricks in a small pool does not teach you anything about how they live out in the wild
• Keeping animals in captivity serves no purpose rather than entertainment
  • Cruelty and poor treatment towards these animals
  • Making them perform tricks they would never do in the wild

1.Working Hypothesis 1:

Supporting bringing children to SeaWorld as an educational experience is clearly counterintuitive since they do not learn anything about the animals real environment. Watching the whales perform tricks in a pool makes the children think that they are naturally born to do these tricks and that they belong in a pool in these aquariums.

Schools promote bringing their students to aquariums for field trips because they think it is an educational experience for them. But really these kids are having fun watching the whales jump in the air doing flips and tricks like playing with a beach ball. Having them watch these shows teaches them nothing about how the whales actually survive in the wild. They do not know that they have to hunt for their food and kill other fish, they just think they always eat the small fish that is thrown at them by their trainers. They believe that these animals actually perform these tricks out in the wild so it is okay for them to be doing these shows in SeaWorld.

Purposeful Summary: SeaWorld Doesn’t ‘Educate’ Students

https://www.thedodo.com/seaworld-fails-to-educate-stud-775279102.html

This article talks about how places like SeaWorld have no educational value to children and they don’t learn anything valuable by going, they are just told false information. Schools usually take their students to an aquarium to be an educational experience and to learn about the marine life. But they are really just learning that whales are supposed to be living in these small pools because that is what they see when they go to these aquariums. They do not learn about their real habitats and most of them don’t even know what kind of whale they are watching, they just know it is “Shamu from SeaWorld”. Taking these children here is promoting cruelty, dishonesty, and hypocrisy. Studies prove that kids learn no new facts by attending aquariums and get no valuable lessons out of it so they should stop making it an educational field trip for them overall.

Working Hypothesis 2:

Capturing whales and forcing them to do unnatural things such as constantly breed, perform tricks, and swim alone in circles for the purpose of entertainment shows is cruel and harmful for their well being both mentally and physically.

Most people do not know about the negative effects these whales have from putting on shows and being kept in these tiny pools. SeaWorld tries to hide what goes on behind the scenes because their business would fail if everyone knew the truth. These animals suffer solely for the entertainment of us humans. People try to hide the negative effects for the whales by saying that it is an educational learning experience so it is okay, which it is neither.

Purposeful Summary: SeaWorld’s Lies Sink to New Low

http://www.globalanimal.org/2014/05/28/seaworlds-lies-sink-to-new-low/

This article talks about how SeaWorld claims that the whales bent dorsal fin is due to genetics and how it is just a natural thing to occur. They are lying to the public to try and cover up for their actions. This deformity in their fin is due to their confinement and studies show the difference between a wild orcas injured fin and a collapsed fin on an orca because of captivity and they look nothing alike. SeaWorld tricks people into thinking that this dorsal fin collapse is normal and that it is very common among whales, which it is not. It is most commonly seen in whales that are kept in captivity and rarely seen on wile orcas. If people know the truth then they will be less likely to buy a ticket that is why they made this lie up to make it seem like being in captivity is good for them.

2. Topics For Smaller Papers

• Definition/Classification Argument: 

For this I might need to explain how a wild orca survives and lives in it’s environment to show the difference of the orcas that are living in the SeaWorld swimming pools. I could talk about how they hunt, what they eat, how much they swim per day and facts like that to show how much a whale in captivities life differs.

• Cause/Effect Argument:

I can explain that by keeping these whales captive for entertainment shows is not an educational experience, especially to the children since they are not learning anything about how these whales actually live.

• Rebuttal Argument:

A counterargument could be that during these shows the trainers do say some educational facts such as the whales diet and what they like to do in their free time. I could also argue that these shows allow people to see these animals up close and watch them interact with each other, which you would not be able to do if these aquariums did not exist.

3. Current State of Research Paper:

I think I still need to do some more research to gain as much information as possible. I also feel that I can accomplish a lot with both of my hypothesis but I am going to work on choosing one and making it better. I am feeling pretty good about the progress I have made and I know exactly what I want to write about.

Contents Description

-The Public’s opinion of Immigrants and how it affects behavior of both parties

-Hate crimes and racism percentages and details against immigrants overall

-Racism and hate crime percentages against Americanized  immigrants

-Exploring and comparing the percentages to those who do not do these acts

-Deciphering if America really is the “Land of the Free” for immigrants through the data gathered on Americanized and normal immigrants

Working Hypothesis 1:

America is supposed to be home where people can fully express themselves through religion, speech, and many other ways. However, this has not been the case within the recent decades.

It seems counter-intuitive to promote America as this wonderful, and very open space, but go back on that when within the country. If our nation was to give off this embodiment of a truly free country, why is it only truly free to some people, and should be taken away from others?

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2011/12/15/10759/the-publics-view-of-immigration/  Gives some insight into this dilemma with some polling statistics on the subject of immigration. Having varying polls gives a good view into what both sides think of each other and on the subject at hand.

Working Hypothesis 2:

“The Land of the Free” does not mean people can do or say whatever they want, but it is one of the reasons hate crimes and racism can spread.

Whenever people claim “First Amendment!” it isn’t usually followed by the most pleasant of readings, but this has only been an issue as of recent years. Racial tension from immigration and Americas billowing ego touching other’s affairs has caused her people to produce some unsavory thoughts, and then express those said thoughts. Racism and Hate are claimed to be, by those who breed it, protected by the first amendment and mentalities of “We are the home of the free”  but that is not an excuse to to do these things, but they’ve become more common as of recent political changes. http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/nylr73&div=23&g_sent=1&collection=journals#

Studies on hate crimes show how and why they spring up. It also goes into detail of what hate crimes really do, for example increasing power of the racist power base by bombing churches.

Definition/Classification Statement 

Why the main goal of my second hypothesis is to determine that hate crimes come from that mentality, i could write several papers on how and why people abuse the first amendment in order to spread racism, misogyny, and bigotry .  Understanding how this works shows how immigration hate and the varying issues within my topic come about.

Cause and Affect Statement

Hate crimes and racism committed against immigrants stand on flimsy grounds for why they are executed, in this paper I will:

-explore the percentage of hate crimes done against both Americanized and Normal immigrants

-explore the reason behind them and find out how we’ve gotten to this point.

Rebuttal Statement

-The world is a mess of high tension and paranoia so we really cannot trust and just let everybody into our country

-Things like 9/11 were cause by Muslim extremist groups and could again if we are not careful

Current State of Research

I’ve begun to use the rabbit hole technique, in which i research a specific topic and just see where it takes me for information. I have a few none biased sources, a couple very left resources, and I’ve been putting off right sided sources to be honest, but they will be sought out eventually. With time dwindling I will be picking up my research pace.

Content Descriptions

• America’s Stigma on Mental Illness
• Most Stigmatized Mental Illnesses
  • Depression
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
• Risks of Stigmatizing Mental Illness
• Treatment for Mental Illness
• Eating Disorders
• Homelessness due to Mental Illness
• Dangers of Ignoring Mental Illness

1. Working Hypothesis

The mental illness population in the United States has been stuck with a stigma for years. It’s not believed that mental illness is as serious as a physical illness or injury when in some cases it can be much worse and much more dangerous to the patient. Over 40% of adult Americans are plagued with a mental illness, though they are not treated properly. The reason they don’t get treated is either because of social stigma or self-stigma. Either they fear coming out about their mental illness due to the misconceptions of mentally ill people being violent or “crazy”, so they avoid getting help in fear of being misconstrued as something they are not.

1a. Working Hypothesis 2

There’s a self-stigma, where the person does not want to believe they have an illness because they do not want to believe they are suffering, or they think that it’s not that serious and they believe this problem will eventually fade away on their own. Pastor Rick Warren says, “If I have diabetes, there is no stigma to that. But if my brain doesn’t work, why am I supposed to be ashamed of that?” This proves that there are people who are ashamed of their disorders, one of those people could be someone you know very well, yet because they’re ashamed they don’t get help and that could lead to a disastrous event such as suicide, which could be avoided without the unfounded prejudice.

2. Topics for Smaller Papers

• Definition/Classification Argument

There’s a wide stigma that mental disorders cannot be medicated though there is lots of research and information that proves otherwise and I could write my small paper on how medication can be extremely beneficial to mental illness sufferers.

• Cause/Effect Argument

I could write one of my small papers about how people with mental illness are treated lesser than others, therefore they fear getting help, and by not getting the proper care they need, their condition worsens which could lead to suicide.

• Rebuttal Argument

They say there’s no evidence of mental illness, yet there are MRI’s and CT scans that prove the chemicals in the brain are off balance. That they differ from the brain of a non-mentally ill person.

3. Current State of Research Paper

I feel I’ve made substantial progress on my paper, taking evidence and sources from both the internet, books, and people in my life such as sufferers and therapists. I’m confident I can take the paper to a place where the stigma on mental illness will start to be seen as bogus. I will anticipate that people who read my paper will change their views on mental illness, and maybe take a stand to do something about it, or at least spread the word. I’m excited to shed light on mental illness because it is hidden in the dark and needs to be acknowledged because it is a real issue and must be taken care of before it gets out of hand.