- What concept that we have already discussed does “faction” remind you of?
- According to Federalist #10 (written by James Madison), what is the source of wealth (private property)? What factor explains why some people get to possess wealth by owning private property, and others don’t (thus remaining poor)? This is a key question, because it shows how the authors of the Constitution thought about the difference between different classes of Americans! HINT: focus on the passage that begins: “The diversity in the faculties (WHAT DOES FACULTIES mean or refer to?) of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not les….”
- Do you agree with this explanation of wealth and poverty?
- What is the core mission (“first object”) of the US government? Does this surprise you, does it sound different from what our society today seems to suggest the core mission of the government is? Explain.
- Given the discussion in questions 1-4, are you surprised that Federalist #10 is not in favor of democracy, and supports a Republican (representative) form of government? Why would d the author dislike a (pure) democratic form of government? Hint: think about how this question connects with the social classes…
Discussion Board 6.1
- Based on the arguments presented in Readings 6.1 and 6.2, which social class wrote the Constitution, and which class was excluded and not allowed to participate in this process? In your comment, make sure you clearly specify the difference between the two classes by giving examples from the readings.
- Would say that the social class structure of early United States society, was the same as ours today, or different? Explain.
- Why were the people who wrote the Constitution so afraid of democracy? Hint: think about how to answer this question by discussing it in terms of social classes.
Continuing working on Module 5 this week as well
Hi class,
Just a reminder that this week we don’t have a new module. Rather, we will continue our work on Module 5. This module is rich in ideas, thus don’t rush through it, take your time to engage with the material.
Please post discussion boards correctly…
Hi class,
As I’m reading through the many excellent and detailed discussion board posts you have written, I have noticed that a number of students are completing these assignments by Commenting under my post for each discussion board assignment.
This is not the correct way to submit discussion board posts. The correct way is outlined in Discussion Board 3.1 by a video of mine. Most students are correctly Posting their discussion board assignments.
I have around 120 students, who are using the OpenLab one way or another, so it is crucial that all assignments are entered in a uniform way. Please, if you are completing discussion boards by simply commenting underneath my post, then you will not receive credit for such work.
Please post your assignments by following my instructions. If you are unsure how to do this, simply email me and I’ll be more than happy to go over the process.
Again, no credit will be given for any discussion board posts that are incorrectly entered as Comments underneath my post for each discussion board.
New module has been posted
Hi class,
I just posted our new module: Module 5
Note that this module will take 2 weeks to complete, as it contains a fair amount of material. Please don’t rush through it, work slowly and carefully.
Discussion Board 5.2
- As we learned thus far, the capitalist class consists of people who own wealth, as well as the means of production in American society. An important question in understanding how this class works is to ask: how does a capitalist remain wealthy? The answer to this question depends largely on understanding the diagram M-C-M’. So, let’s practice by explaining what happens in this diagram in our own words (but basing our ideas on Reading 5.1). Respond to the following question: Explain M-C-M’ to show how capitalists maintain and increase their wealth. (hint: your answer should weave a summary that includes what you reviewed in the self-assessment exercise question 1-7)
Discussion Board 5.3
- Which statistic on wealth inequality in the US (discussed on p. 29) made the biggest impression on you? Explain why?
- What could be some of the implications of living in a society that has such huge wealth inequalities? Do you see this dynamic getting played out in everyday life in our society? How so? Example?
Discussion Board 5.1
- Two key concepts in this video are the means of production and labor. In your comment, explain how you understand the means of production and labor. Give an example of each.
- Another important concept in understanding social class is value. Based on the ideas presented in Video 5.1, what is value? What give “value” to value, what makes something valuable?
- How are labor and value related? What’s the relationship/connection between the two?
- How do you understand the difference between labor and labor power? Hint: this is a key difference, give it your best shot based on what the video says about it, and your own ideas. We’ll clarify and develop it in our discussions, and in my video comments.
- Surplus Value: what is it? Why is it important to know about, in our study of social classes? Think about an example of surplus value?
Regarding Reading 4.2
Hi class,
The New Yorker website hosting our Reading 4.2 is apparently down. While we wait for them to fix it, please continue to the other Discussion Board assignment.
New module has been added
Hi class,
I just added our new module for the upcoming week: Module 4
I’ll be reading through your discussion board posts, while you work on the new module.
