Society Questions

Using an ecological framework briefly outline some current conditions and trends in human society that we considered in this course. Please reference: wealth, power, migration, work, money system, corporate and other forms of enterprise organization, human information (quantity, quality, sources, media, overload). (<300 words)

• 1. Briefly describe trends in wealth and income distribution in the US during the past 70 years.
• 2. How in this course have we connected financialization, criminalization, incarceration, militarization, racism, globalization, and imperialism to these trends?
• 3. What is one piece of evidence to support a claim that the US is an oligarchy rather than a democracy?
• 4. What are two parallels that Kelly draws between those who own and control corporations today, and royalty and nobility in prior times?
• 5. Name two ways that reformers are aiming to further common good by altering laws pertaining to corporations.
• 6. Name three elements of the "old narrative" that people are increasingly challenging.
• 7. Give three pieces of evidence that the "American Dream" is beyond the reach of a growing number of people.
• 8. How have we in this course applied ecological analysis to explain why addiction, denial, delusion, and depression are rampant in our era?
• 9. What might a value scientist predict will be consequences of a growing gap between physical trends and financial representation of these?
• 10. In this course how have we supported an assertion that culture is key as individuals work to influence trends in other factors of the ecological framework?
• 11. In what two ways have we proposed that we as cognitive activists may influence the evolution of culture?