Thursday, June 13. 2013

Today's schedule is D-AG-C-B-A

D Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll move on to social order crimes, starting with what "obscenity" means. We'll look at the legal definition of "obscenity" so that we can understand the difference between the subjective and objective beliefs of obscenity. Immoral acts are distinguished from crimes on the basis of the social harm they cause. Acts that are believed to be extremely harmful to the general public are usually outlawed, whereas acts that only the harm the actor themselves are more likely to be tolerated. Acts that are illegal because they are viewed as a threat to morality are called public order crimes. I'll remind you that we already looked at the difference between what is deviant and what is criminal and this topic covers crimes that straddle the line between the two. People who lobby hard for their morals to become law are called moral entrepreneurs or crusaders. Think about Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD). From Craig Reinarman's article Social Construction of an Alcohol Problem:

The credibility of MADD, especially at its outset, was impeccable. The parents of children who have been killed in drunk-driving accidents are exceptionally strong symbols. There are few groups of victims who can inspire as much sympathy and adherence as the grieving mother. And this is one of the central foundations of MADD's success. The organisation was started in August of 1980 in Sacramento, California by a woman named Candy Lightner whose daughter had been killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver with multiple DUI (driving under the influence) convictions some 4 months prior. During the criminal proceedings Lightner was appalled by the apparent leniency and lack of concern demonstrated by the justice system towards drunk drivers and the rights of the victim. The campaign began with her tireless lobbying in the initial months and a strong push to make drunk driving a political issue where it had previously not been.

The power of moral entrepreneurs can be quite strong and we'll see that today. After we discuss moral entrepreneurs (crusaders) and then we will deal with the issue of prostitution in Canada. We will understand the different types of prostitutes (street walkers, circuit travelers, bar girls, brothels, call girls and escort services). We'll look at some high profile cases (former New York state governor Eliot Spitzer) and examine the reasons why people turn to prostitution. I'll have you answer the question:

Should prostitution be legalized? Why? If you believe it should be legalized, should all the forms of prostitution described in your text be legalized, or only a select few? If prostitution were legalized should government be able to exercise some control over it?

If there's time we'll examine the laws in Canada on obscenity - as related to pornography (Criminal Code section163 subsection 8 and the community standards of tolerance test) and ask the question "Does pornography cause violence?" For help understanding just how far sex has infiltrated our modern society take a look at the article on canoe.ca about teen girls trading sex for favours.

C Block Social Studies 10 - Today we are back in the library for your last day this week for research on your family history assignment. Remember, your task is to research your family history, which includes learning how to conduct academic research, making critical evaluations regarding sources, and managing information. Please remember that I want you to focus on the context of history- did your ancestor fight in the war of 1812? What was life like for farmers during early settlement of the west? Why do you have American relatives? Use the primary documents and stories you find to uncover what daily life might have been like for your relatives.
Government of Canada Geneaology Site
American National Archives
Pier 21 Immigration Museum Research Canada
Ellis Island - U.S. Immigration
Climbing Your Family Tree
Family Search
BC Department of Vital Statistics
Ancestry

B Block Social Studies 11 - Today I'd like you to watch a brilliant commercial about access to fresh water from World Vision

FYI: World Vision is a non-profit organization (however it is denominational - Christian) that works in three areas for the developing world: disaster management, development assistance and advocacy (human rights, economic justice and peace).

Today we'll take a look at the Human Development Index which focuses on health, poverty and hunger, education, and environmental issues in countries around the world. Don't forget a good resource is the UNDP HDI Report. We'll take a few notes down on HIPC's (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) and the cycle of poverty looking at two power points about material wealth and food (based on photography from Peter Menzel). Later we will make a connection between the social problems (gender, health, children, etc.) in HIPC's with economic development. We will examine traditional economies which are based in primary industries and subsistence farming and compare those with developing and developed economies.

There is an excellent news story on the CNN Freedom Project called Chocolate's Child Slaves.

From the CNN site: It may be unthinkable that the chocolate we enjoy could come from the hands of children working as slaves. In the Ivory Coast and other cocoa-producing countries, there are an estimated 100,000 children working the fields, many against their will, to create the chocolate delicacies enjoyed around the world.

This story is a good example of the social problems associated with development and the reliance upon monoculture for economies in developing countries.