Module 12

Module 12

 

We are nearing the end of the semester, but the 2020 election and its aftermath continue to dominate headlines as President Trump continues to challenge the results. Would you categorize what we are witnessing as arising out of “parties” or “politics” or “campaigning”… or is it personal? In reality, it is probably a little of each. In your view, and as you have observed the unprecedented events unfolding since election day, what parts of President Trump’s refusal to accept the results is related to parties, to politics, to campaigning, and to the personal element? Write a blog post in which you break this down.

 

Our film last week, Birth of a Nation,  was a tough one to watch. My apologies for asking you to watch it… on the other hand, it does perhaps, and unfortunately, provide some insight into the blind hysteria that sometimes seems to drive American politics when it comes to race, as well as the carefully calculated efforts to disenfranchise black voters, the willingness of so many people to accept this, and the apparent fears harbored by many white Americans. I don’t think one can really understand the politics of race in America without having watched this awful film. 

 

Research Project

 

Our parties, and our politics, have some big challenges coming up and it will be your generation that takes these challenges on and moves the country forward into the future… race and an evolving electorate will require parties to adapt themselves over time, hopefully for the better but maybe for the worse; politics will fill new spaces created by social media and other modes of communication; campaigns will shift their focus and tactics… these things have been happening and will continue to take on new directions. What are the most crucial future challenges facing “parties,” “politics,” and “campaigns” from the point of view of people in their 30s or younger today? Race? Climate change? The viability of democracy? Civic education? Social media? What about people in their 60s or older? Are their answers different? To begin your final Research Project for this course, please conduct some informal, exploratory conversations (in person, by phone, by email, text, zoom or facetime… your choice of format) with people from both age groups. Ask them this question and summarize their responses. See if you detect any trends in their answers based on their age group. When you are done, choose one thread from your conversations that you find particularly interesting and which you would like to explore more deeply. Summarize your conversations (use first names only) and identify your chosen thread in your blog post for this week.