Soc 120 week 2 assignment waste reduction

Introduction To Ethics & Social Responsibility- Ashford University

Need weeks 2-5 Discussion Threads & Assignments completed by due dates listed. Will provide pertinent info for login via private message. Must be plagiarism free. Willing to pay $100 for all Discussion Thread & Assignments. NOTE: *There are 2 Discussion Threads per week those are NOT PAPERS must be a minimum of 250 words*. Any questions please contact me via private message.

SOC120: Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility- Ashford University

Week 2

Discussion 1-The Three Ethical Perspectives- (Due 10/23/14)

Define and contrast the three ethical perspectives. How do the perspectives differ from the ethical theories? What does each ethical perspective tell us about morality and virtue?

Think of an issue that has occurred in your community during the past year. This may be a public issue that has generated interest in the press, or it may be something that has come up in your child’s school, in your church, in a social club you belong to, or in your neighborhood. Describe the issue, and then analyze the issue from the viewpoint of one of the ethical perspectives. Apply the perspective to the issue in the same way that the author applies the theories and perspectives to the issues in the text.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.

Discussion 2-Constructing Arguments- (Due 10/23/14)

Identify the basic themes, topics, and concepts that make up the discipline of ethics. What are the themes or ideas that unite the different ethical theories? What is it that ethics aims to explain?

Describe how you might apply an ethical theme to one of the following social issues:

· Limiting smoking in public places, such as public buildings, restaurants, or city parks

· Municipal governments using public funds to build stadiums for professional sports teams

· Requiring a private landowner to provide habitat for endangered species on their properties

What is your goal when you apply an ethical theme to a specific real-world issue? Distinguish how applying an ethical theme to an issue would differ from applying one of the following perspectives: economics, politics, or religion. What themes might represent the alternative perspective to the issue?

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.

Assignment-Power Point Slide-Applying Theory: Environmental Issues- (Due 10/27/14)

(My topic will be Environmental justice/environmental racism)

Your goal for this assignment is to apply an ethical theory to a real-world situation. You will examine an environmental issue and apply one of the ethical theories to understand how human interactions with the natural environment raise ethical concerns. You will do this by preparing and posting a PowerPoint slideshow.

Choose one of the following topics/issues and read about it at the indicated place:

· Environmental justice/environmental racism (Article: Environmental Justice for All)

· Environmental harm/pollution of air and water (Chapter 8 in the textbook)

· Waste reduction (Chapter 8 in the textbook)

Select one philosophical theory (utilitarianism, deontology, or virtue ethics). Consider the following questions pertaining to the theory you have selected:

· What does the theory tell us about how things operate in the real world?

· What is the focus of the theory? That is, what aspects of everyday life (or what questions) does the theory address?

The focus (or questions) helps you think about the topical boundaries of the theory. This course is about ethics and social responsibility, so you should concentrate on the ethical and moral aspects of the theory and of the topic you are analyzing. It may help to think in terms of different realms or institutions. Does the theory help to explain people’s behavior from a political, economic, religious, or ethical perspective? Try to sort through everything that does not represent an ethical question, and address only the ethical issues.

· How does the theory simplify complex issues to make them more understandable? Another way to think about this is to consider the elements or concepts that make up the theory. Identify the concepts and how they are related to each other.

Develop one thesis question that applies your philosophical theory to your environmental issue. You will address this question in developing an argument that links the theory to the issue (through your notes and pictures), so make sure you word your question carefully to accomplish this task. Indicate this thesis question on your second slide (the one after the title slide).

Develop an argument that addresses your question. Build your argument by writing nine sentences. Each sentence should make one important point about the ethical aspects of the environmental issue you are analyzing and will be placed on one slide each. Make sure your presentation focuses on ethical arguments and avoids personal opinion, arguments based on politics, economics, religion, or topics other than ethics.

Create a PowerPoint slideshow to present your argument. Begin by inserting your argument into the slideshow using the “Notes” feature at the bottom of each slide. Click on the box that says “Click to add notes” and type one sentence at the bottom of each slide. Your sentences and slides should link together to form your argument.

Find photos to illustrate each sentence, and post the photo on the slide above the note. You can use your own personal photos or you can search the Internet for photos that are appropriate. Make sure the photos are not copyright protected; you should only use photos that are in the public domain. Cite the sources from which you retrieved your photos underneath the photo on each slide.

Your slide show should present what you would usually write in a paper. The slideshow should be 12 slides long (one slide for title page, one for the thesis question, nine slides for your arguments, and one slide for references.

Week 3

Discussion 1- Ageism- (Due 10/30/14)

The purpose of this discussion is to give you the opportunity to apply ethical theories to the complex issue of ageism in the workplace, particularly in the area of employment. In the modern workplace there appear to be the following three key issues that address ageism in employment, some of which have been exacerbated by recent economic issues and an aging population:

· Older job seekers fight ageism as a barrier to re-employment.

· Younger job seekers have trouble obtaining career entry.

Evidence in many countries highlights that older worker employment and youth employment are not connected in any way.

This last point is generally known in economics as the “Lump of Labor Fallacy,” which challenges the view that if older workers are employed in a tight labor market, then they must be occupying the jobs of the country’s youth. Prepare and post a response to the following prompt:

Using at least one ethical perspective or theory from the text and one item of scholarly evidence, present an argument to a group of younger workers (regarding older worker and youth employment) in which you refute the notion that older workers take employment from the young.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Discussion 2- Regulating Off-Duty Conduct- (Due 10/30/14)

The purpose of this discussion is to give you the opportunity to apply ethical theories and perspectives to modern issues of the workplace. Off-duty conduct away from the workplace can be monitored and reported in many ways, and with the increase in social media use, there will be far greater opportunities for employers to become aware of what employees get up to outside of the workplace. Some types of behaviors are especially concerning as they may have on-duty consequences; however, other types of off-duty behavior are more difficult to clearly define as grossly inappropriate to warrant employer intervention. But who draws this line, and what are the ethical implications of where the line is drawn? Prepare and post a response to the following prompt:

Using the resources provided, your own research, and your knowledge of the ethical concepts from the text, consider the issue of off-site monitoring of conduct:

· Using your own work experience, imagine a circumstance in which your supervisor wanted to monitor your behavior off the job. Describe the circumstances, including how your conduct is being monitored and why your conduct is being monitored.

· Would you consider your example to involve a minor, moderate, or severe invasion on an individual’s privacy? Explain your reasoning. Share your un-emotional, well-defined, evidence-based response to your boss to support your viewpoint.

· What issues led to the employer’s monitoring of the employee? Use one ethical theory or perspective to help support the employer’s viewpoint, and use a scholarly source as your evidence.

· What about the employee’s viewpoint? Use one ethical theory or perspective to support the employee’s right to privacy outside of work, and use a scholarly source as your evidence.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Assignment- Rough Draft- (Due 11/03/14)

(My ethical issue will be Women’s Equality)

Rough Draft of Final Paper

In this course, you have looked at classical ethical theories of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. You have also examined different perspectives on ethical issues introduced by relativism, ethical egoism, and emotivism. For this paper, you will apply these theories and perspectives to a current issue, selected from the list of issues below.

Choose one of the ethical issues from the list to research and write about. It is recommended that you choose a topic you are familiar with or that you have thought about previously, if possible. For example, you might choose an issue that either worries you or enrages you; you might choose one that you have worked on; or you might choose one that relates to recent events in your community.

· Possible Issues

· Corporate executive compensation

· Corporate contributions to political campaigns

· Affirmative action

· The media and its responsibilities

· Domestic surveillance

· Whistle blowing in government or in a business

· Religion in the workplace

· Pornography

· Consumer tracking

· Ethical problems of gambling

· Progressive taxation rates

· Immigration

· Women’s equality

In your paper, you will apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the issue that you select. You do not have to use all six, but you should apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective in your paper. Make sure that you write primarily on ethical topics and concepts; do not get distracted by doing analyses that apply political, economic, religious, or legal perspectives. Describe, compare, and apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the topics. Explain your analysis of the issue using these theories and perspectives. What are the ethical issues? Where there breaches of ethical behavior? How could each theory help people think about what constitutes virtuous or ethical behavior?

Your draft must include at least three pages of text plus a title page and a references page. Your draft should include a clear thesis statement that states what you plan to argue. Also include a list of the sources you intend to use. Format your rough draft according to APA style and properly cite and reference all your sources according to APA format. If you would like to refer to APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab in the left navigation bar of your online course.

Note: The final version of this paper will include eight to ten pages, plus a title page and a references page, and will use at least five academic sources.

Week 4

Discussion 1- Equal Access to Healthcare-(Due 11/6/14)

This discussion presents the opportunity for you to address the inequality of access to healthcare in the United States using moral and ethical reasoning. There is overwhelming evidence that social inequalities affect health outcomes. Many argue that lack of health care access related to poverty is a human rights concern in the United States and that should be subject to public and social justice inquiry. As such, the Affordable Care Act was implemented to promote health equity. Prepare and post a response to the following prompt:

From the viewpoint of a social justice activist, present an argument to a Congressional committee as to the ethical and moral reasons for supporting the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Through research, anticipate an item of debate that will be offered to you by the panel and use at least one ethical theory or perspective from the text to support your evidence of moral imperative.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Discussion 2- Food Justice/Food Deserts- (Due 11/6/14)

The purpose of this discussion is to offer you the opportunity to debate the issue of food justice and food deserts. Food deserts are a significant issue in poorer neighborhoods in the United States. In many of these neighborhoods, the only access to food is through a local convenience store or a fast food restaurant. This severely limits the options for the poor to have access to fresh and wholesome food and has been evidenced as a key reason for the obesity epidemic in the United States. This issue is encompassed in the overarching topic of food justice, which highlights the issue of food deserts as well as public access to genetically modified foods, organic foods, and the issues of equal access for positive food options in light of public health and social inequality. Prepare and post a response to the following prompt:

Read the Hilmers article assigned this week. Assume that your town is a food desert and you would like to do something about it. Prepare an evidenced argument to present to your local town council that outlines an idea to offer healthy food options to your town. Use at least one ethical theory or perspective to support the moral or ethical reasoning for why this program should be implemented.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Week 5

Discussion 1- Consumerism and Planned Obsolescence- (Due 11/13/14)

The purpose of this discussion is to help you understand the growing concerns of consumerism and how the concept of consumerism is applied to varied contexts. Prepare and post a response to the following prompts:

· Describe consumerism. Describe a specific context and explain what consumerism means in the setting.

· What is planned obsolescence? What role does planned obsolescence play in consumerism? Describe one product or service and explain how planned obsolescence is incorporated into its design. Note: Do not use the same product or service that a classmate has already used in a previous post.

· What are your personal beliefs and biases about consumption?

· Having separated your personal belief and biases and using your newly honed skills of ethical evaluation, present how you feel about consumerism and planned obsolescence as a societal issue using ethical theories and concepts.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center

Discussion 2- Conglomerates and Market Domination- (Due 11/13/14)

The purpose of this discussion is to help you understand the role of corporations in the modern world, and evaluating ethical aspects of corporate market domination. Prepare and post a response to the following prompts:

· What is a corporation? What are the defining characteristics of a public corporation? What is a conglomerate? What is the difference between a corporation and a conglomerate?

· Describe how media conglomerates are organized in the United States. Use an example of one media conglomerate and examine is various parts. How might these parts work together for mutual advantage?

· Consider the ethics of media conglomerates. What are the advantages and drawbacks of allowing large conglomerates to control the mass media? What are alternative ways the media can be organized? Would the alternatives be more ethical or virtuous? Explain your reasoning.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Assignment- Final Paper- (Due 11/17/14)

(My ethical issue will be Women’s Equality)

Final Paper

In this course, you will look at classical ethical theories of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. You will also examine different perspectives on ethical issues introduced by relativism, ethical egoism, and emotivism. For this paper, you will apply these theories and perspectives to a current issue, selected from the list of issues below.

Choose one of the ethical issues from the list below to research and write about. It is recommended that you choose a topic you are familiar with or have thought about previously. For example, you might choose an issue that either worries you or enrages you; you might choose one that you have worked on; or you might choose one that relates to recent events in your community.

· Possible Issues

· Corporate executive compensation

· Corporate contributions to political campaigns

· Affirmative action

· The media and its responsibilities

· Domestic surveillance

· Whistle blowing in government or in a business

· Religion in the workplace

· Pornography

· Consumer tracking

· Ethical problems of gambling

· Progressive taxation rates

· Immigration

· Women’s equality

In your paper, you will apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the issue you select. You do not have to use all six, but you should apply at least two ethical theories and at least one ethical perspective in your paper. Make sure you write primarily on ethical topics and concepts; do not get distracted by doing analyses that apply political, economic, religious, or legal perspectives. Describe, compare, and apply the ethical theories and perspectives to the topics. Explain how the theories and perspectives would analyze the issue. What are the ethical issues? Where are there breaches of ethical behavior? How could each theory help people think about what would constitute virtuous or ethical behavior?

The paper must be eight to ten pages in length (excluding title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style. You must use at least five scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library other than the textbook to support your claims. Cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page