CH-18-20 Mass Media and Mass Communication – Sociology My Compass for a New World : Book Guide

This Document Contains Chapters 18 to 20 Chapter 18 – Mass Media and Mass Communication 1. LEARNING OUTCOMES (WITH BLOOM’S TAXONOMY) After completing this chapter, students should be able to: • Recognize how the growth of mass media over the last two centuries was linked to the origins of Protestantism, democracy, and capitalism, and that the most popular contemporary forms of mass media originated in the twentieth century. • Show how the mass media help to unify society. • Indicate the ways in which the mass media contribute to social inequality. • Explain the ways in which audiences actively re-interpret, resist, or reject media messages depending on their own subject locations. • Discuss the problematic representation of women and visible minorities by the mass media. • Observe how users of the Internet and social media have more freedom than that offered by other mass media. 2. WHY IS THIS CHAPTER IMPORTANT TO SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS? By the time a student begins to study sociology, it is quite likely that no other institution in modern society will have taken as much of his or her time as the mass media, and no other force in most students’ lives is as intensely immersive on a daily basis. Students will benefit from understanding how mass media impacts their construction and interpretation of social reality and the effects that this social reality has on the construction and development of their self-identities. We live in a highly mediated society, and students need the knowledge, skills, and ability to “unpack” all of the ramifications of the social role of media,. For instance, recognizing how the media influence and shape social knowledge will help students understand the totality of their impact, not just on the “imagined communities” of collective identity, but also on the intimate dimension of self knowledge. By the same token, learning how audiences filter and re-interpret the messages that are being communicated to them may result in the students becoming more conscious and critical media consumers. 3. WHY SHOULD STUDENTS CARE? Today’s rapid developments in online technologies have resulted in a myriad of changes in how we communicate and socially interact. Although these technologies facilitate more efficient and convenient communication and promote human interaction, we are also experiencing an unprecedented upswing in adverse consequences such as cyberbullying and Internet addiction. Being aware of both the positive and the negative aspects may assist students in developing a deeper understanding of their personal experiences and the lived experiences of others. The mass media frame the ways in which we interpret and respond to the social world and play a crucial role in ordering our experience of it. Students need to be aware of this so they can critically question and understand their own interpretations and responses to societal events and issues. 4. WHAT ARE COMMON STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS & STUMBLING BLOCKS? As “digital natives,” students tend to take media (and more specifically, Internet-based and mobile media) for granted. Asking them to imagine and discuss what their lives would be like without the Internet or a smart phone may help them to step “outside” of their everyday experience and seriously consider how their lived experiences and everyday activities have been impacted by, and framed within, media and technology (see below for further suggestions). The mass media are often associated with entertainment (i.e., television, movies) and are therefore viewed by students as incidental to their lives and benign in impact. The challenge will be to assist students in becoming aware that even “recreational” media have a wide-ranging impact and influence on individual attitudes and behaviours (see below for suggestions). Students are at once expert and unreflective consumers of media, and therefore require time spent exploring and discussing their everyday media activities within a broader social, political, and economic context. “Critiquing the news media” (outlined below) may enable them to “see the familiar as strange,” and help them when analyzing and evaluating what media sources are presenting and why it is presented in such a manner. 5. WHAT CAN I DO IN CLASS? At the start of class: Critiquing the news media: View “Charlie Brooker on the Media’s Japan Coverage” (4:59; available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVWhZ_qGD7g&NR=1). A humorous and critical monologue addressing the news media coverage of Japan’s earthquake, tsunami, and Fukushima nuclear disaster in March, 2011 (Viewer advisory—choice of words at 3:04). What are the implications of blurring the lines between news and entertainment? Does the clip make sense of the journalistic adage that “If it bleeds, it leads”? Discuss. Do they agree with Brooker that “the more you watch the news to stay informed, the less informed you feel”? Ask them to give examples/utilize real-life connections to explain their position. Survey the audience: By a show of hands/clicker slide (especially effective, since it will report percentages), ask students, “If you had to make a choice, which would you volunteer to ‘give up’ for a month: your smart phone, laptop/computer, television, or radio?” (Students tend to pick the radio.) Discuss why they chose what they did. Then ask, “If you were allowed to use only one electronic device (smart phone, laptop/computer, television, or radio) for the next month, which would it be? (It’s usually a toss-up between the smart phone and the laptop/computer, depending on how technologically advanced the smart phone is.) Address their responses (ask them “why”) and continue into a discussion of media convergence. Social Media/Social Isolation: Show the class the 2014 video “Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?” (3:27; available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRl8EIhrQjQ).) What are his main points about the isolating effects of technology, and do students agree with this position? Then, bridge in to an introduction to mass media. Throughout the class: Think/Pair/Share: “The Effects of Hyper Sexualization of Girls in the Media.” Show this 2013 video by Oscar-winning actor Geena Davis (1:22; available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjUvLIzO7Yk). Do you agree or disagree with her position? Discuss and share. [Understand/Apply]] Lecture enhancer: Technological change and media. View “A Computer Network Called ‘Internet’” (6 min., 32 sec.; CBC digital archives; broadcast date Oct. 8, 1993; available at http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/computers/inventing-the-internet-age/a-network-called-internet.html) and discuss the cultural impact that Internet access has had on our society. Is the Internet (still) a “modulated anarchy”? (Since many students have not experienced a world without Internet, this may help them to appreciate that what they may take for granted was not the social reality for a previous generation, and one which is still not experienced by a number of global citizens.) [Understand/Apply/Evaluate] Three-minute paper: Ask students to choose one of Protestantism, democracy, or capitalism, and describe its role in giving rise to the growth of mass media. [Understand/Apply] Small group/Class discussion: “Digital Nation” (2010). Show Chapter 1 of this PBS Frontline series (“Distracted by Everything”), and discuss the issue of media multitasking and the brain (available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/). [Understand/Apply/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: “A Brief History of Conspicuous Product Placement in Movies.” This 2011 video, (6:30; available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wACBAu9coUU, depicts the evolution of “advertising” into movies. View and ask students to discuss what instances of product placement they have noticed in feature films. Do they feel that product placement is effective? Are they bothered by it? (Note: Sales of “Reese’s Pieces” increased 65 percent in June 1982 after the release of E.T., http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922960,00.html). [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: The power of “images” for social change. “Whether the public turned against the Vietnam War because television, in particular, and the media, in general, presented it unfavorably, or whether the public turned against the war because media accurately depicted its horrors and television did so most graphically remains an open and hotly contested question in the public debate” (Museum of Broadcast Communications). To contextualize the discussion, show “Jonathan Klein: Photos that Changed the World,” a 2010 TEDTalk (5:59; available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/jonathan_klein_photos_that_changed _the_world.html). (Note: The photo displayed at 4 min., 55 sec. is that of Sgt. José Pequeño, who lost the bottom two lobes of his brain when a grenade was tossed into his Humvee in Iraq, March 2006. See http://www.thenation.com/article/war-personal.) [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Class activity/Discussion: “Reading the Newspaper.” This is a very effective exercise in “making the familiar strange.” See the Appendix below (p. 18-10) for instructions. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: “Buying the War.” PBS Frontline (2007) examines the press coverage in the lead-up to the war in Iraq as evidence of a paradigm shift in the role of journalists in democracy. “From August 2002 until the war was launched in March of 2003 there were about 140 front page pieces in THE WASHINGTON POST making the administration's case for war,” says Howard Kurtz, the Post’s media critic. “But there was only a handful of stories that ran on the front page that made the opposite case. Or, if not making the opposite case, raised questions.” Available at http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html, and also on YouTube. View (selected segments or all) and discuss with students. Ask the students if they “question” everything that they read or hear in the media (television, radio, newspaper, online, etc.). Why, or why not? [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: “How Social Media Can Make History.” This 16-minute TEDTalk by Clay Shirky (2009) is available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/clay_shirky _how_smartphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html). Watch and discuss with students: (1) Should this talk be entitled “How Social Media Can Make ‘True’ History?” given that when the channels of communication were just one-to-one or one-to-many, the history was made by those in power? (2) Are we heading for a truly democratic, citizen-involved, social construction of reality or is this just a “cyber-utopian” view of the Internet? [Understand/Apply/ Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: “Pay Attention to Nonviolence.” This 11-minute TEDTalk by Julia Bacha (2011) is available at http://www.ted.com/talks/julia_bacha.html. Bacha makes the argument that the media remains mostly silent when it comes to covering successful nonviolent resistance and believes “that at the core of ending the conflict in the Middle East and bringing peace is for us to transform nonviolence into a functional behaviour by giving a lot more attention to the nonviolent leaders on the ground today.” Watch and discuss with students: Do you agree with Bacha’s position? Why, or why not? [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: “Women as Background Decoration (Part 1).” Show this 2014 video by Anita Sarkeesian on the objectification of women in video games (31:43; available at http://www.feministfrequency.com). Many students are gaming aficionados, so discussion will be lively and wide-ranging. Important context here is the ongoing backlash against Sarkeesian’s Feminist Frequency project (background available at http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-26/anita-sarkeesian-battles-sexism-in-games-gamergate-harassment). [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] 6. HOW WILL I KNOW THAT MY STUDENTS HAVE LEARNED THE LOs? Comment paper/Reflection paper: If a documentary/TEDTalk was viewed in class, ask students to write a short paper and submit. End the class with a mini quiz: Focus on multiple-choice questions that address the Learning Objectives of the chapter. Review and discuss the correct answers for each question. (The use of “clicker” technology and turning point slides is very effective for this exercise.) Three-minute essay: Ask students to brainstorm a list of the main points from the session, and then choose one to summarize in three minutes and submit. Ask students (in pairs/small groups) to create and submit a question (with answer): The question should be one that they would like to be included on an upcoming exam. Some of these questions could be developed into a multiple-choice format and used at the start of the next class as a review of the material from this session. It allows students to engage with the exam creation, and if used as part of the next session’s opening questions, it enables them to self-assess their learning and engagement in the previous session. Set up an online survey tool account: (i.e., www.toofast.ca). Ask/instruct students to answer one or two questions, such as What did I learn today that precipitated an “aha” moment? What did I not understand in today’s class? (This provides you with feedback on the teaching in addition to the student learning. The difficulties with understanding could then be addressed in the next class.) MindTap: Refer your students to www.nelson.com/student to access the MindTap for Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. MindTap is a personalized program of digital products and services that engages students with interactivity while offering students and instructors choice in content, platforms, devices, and learning tools. This resource includes quiz questions, videos, and articles that are accompanied by thought-provoking questions that challenge students to think critically about current issues and events. Ask students to utilize this learning tool, and bring to the next class any questions (difficulties) they may have in regards to information from this chapter. 7. HOW CAN I ASSESS MY OWN “PERFORMANCE”? A critical reflection on my own practice: insights and understandings: A. Did I get the attention of my students at the beginning of class? a. What did I do? Did it work? How? If not, why not? b. Did I get the right kind of attention, or the wrong kind? B. Did I allot enough time for student dialogue/participation/engagement in the learning process? a. If not, why not? b. Is there any material that can (or should) be minimized or removed in order to allow for student input and participation? c. Are there ways of transferring some of the content online to open up more time in class for participation and engagement? C. How could I incorporate more student input and participation? (e.g., clicker questions, think/pair/share, one-minute summaries) D. Were my students engaged and/or focused? If so: a. What tells me that they were? b. What concepts were we covering? c. What precisely were they engaged with and/or focused on? (i.e., video clip, documentary, debate, small group discussion, whole class discussion) d. Were there unexpected moments of engagement, i.e., in group discussion, that I recognized and incorporated? If not: a. When did I lose them? b. Why did they disengage/lose focus? E. Did I integrate formative assessment of student learning throughout the “lecture”? a. What did I do? b. Did these assessments suggest to me that they understood the key concepts? If not, was I prepared to alter my plan in response? F. Did I request feedback from the students on their learning experience in this class? i.e.: a. Submission of an “aha” moment they had b. Informal summary (point form) addressing two or three concepts covered c. Five (ten) minutes for “debriefing” at the end (of class or topic)—“What” are your questions? (not “Are there any questions?”) d. Refer students to an online survey (e.g., Blackboard learning system, toofast.ca). G. Some things to consider for the next class (modifications to consider when teaching this chapter again): a. What worked really well, and why? b. What could/should/might I do differently next time to improve student engagement and learning? H. What did I learn about this topic? What insights did I gather from my students? Were any of those insights surprising to me? I. What did I learn about my teaching, and what can I do to modify my teaching as a result? 8. WHAT OTHER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE? [Supplementary Resources] Bauerlein, Mark. 2008. The Dumbest Generation. New York: The Penguin Group. Boorstin, Daniel J. 1992. The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. New York: Vintage Books, Random House, Inc. Croteau, David R., and William Hoynes. 2003. Media Society: Industries, Images and Audiences, Third Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd. Gabler, Neal. 2000. Life: The Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality. New York: Vintage Books, Random House, Inc. Grindstaff, Laura. 2002. The Money Shot: Trash, Class, and the Making of TV Talk Shows. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Herman, Edward S., and Noam Chomsky. 2002 [1988]. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. New York: Pantheon Books. Kaiser Family Foundation. 2010. Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. Available at http://kff.org/other/poll-finding/report-generation-m2-media-in-the-lives/ Klein, Naomi. 2009. No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, Tenth Anniversary Edition. Toronto: Vintage Canada. McLuhan, Marshall. 1994. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, Revised Edition. Cambridge: The MIT Press. McLuhan, Marshall, and Quentin Fiore. 2003. The Medium is the Message. Toronto: Penguin Books. Museum of Broadcast Communications. War on Television. Available at http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=warontelevi. PBS. 2010. “Digital Nation: life on the virtual frontier.” Frontline. Available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/. Rainie, Lee. 2014. “Networked: The New Social Operating System in Civic Life.” Pew Research Internet Project. Available at http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/05/09/networked-the-new-social-operating-system-in-civic-life/. Sarkeesian, Anita. 2014. Feminist Frequency: conversations with pop culture. Available at http://www.feministfrequency.com. Sociology Central. 2011. “Defining the Mass Media.” Sociology Central. Available at http://www.sociology.org.uk/media_defined.pdf. Sorice, Michele. 2013. “Sociology of Popular Culture and the Mass Media.” Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions.” Abstract available at http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-8265-8_1322. Taras, David. 2001. Power and Betrayal in the Canadian Media (Updated Edition). Toronto: University of Toronto Press, Higher Education Division. Thompson, Lee, and Julie Cupples. 2008. “Seen and Not Heard? Text Messaging and Digital Sociality.” Social & Cultural Geography. Vol. 9, No. 1 (Feb. 2008), pp. 95–108. Writers Guild of America. 2005. “Are You SELLING to Me? Stealth Advertising in the Entertainment Industry.” White Paper available at http://www.wga.org/uploadedFiles/news_and_events/press_release/2005/white_paper.pdf. 9. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WITH SUGGESTED ANSWERS 1. Purchase a copy of the newspaper that is published in your community, and then check on the masthead page to see if it is locally owned. If not, which company owns it, and what can you find out about it? If it is not locally controlled, does this fact have implications for the kind of news coverage you may be receiving? Answer: Answers will vary depending on student’s background research. Students may/should reference material found on p. 468 of the text, addressing media ownership and media biases (advertising comes from large corporations, sourcing usually relies heavily on information organized by large corporations and government agencies, flak describes how the government and big corporations routinely attack media who depart from official and corporate points of view). If the newspaper is not locally owned, it is often controlled by a larger media corporation, which may influence the scope and focus of news coverage to align with broader corporate interests. This can impact local reporting, potentially prioritizing national or international stories over community-specific issues. Understanding the ownership helps assess potential biases and the breadth of news coverage provided. 2. Keep a “media diary” for one week, tracking in detail your use of different media, and quantifying your use of them as well as you can. What, if anything, have you learned from the results? Are there implications from a sociological perspective of your findings about your own experience? Answer: Tracking media use for a week might reveal patterns, such as heavy reliance on social media or news outlets, and the amount of time spent on each medium. This can highlight the influence of media on daily life and information consumption. From a sociological perspective, it reflects how media shapes perceptions and social interactions, illustrating the role of media in reinforcing or challenging societal norms and behaviors. APPENDIX Class Activity: “Reading the Newspaper” INSTRUCTOR PREPARATION: Purchase multiple copies of three different newspapers. (Note: in the Greater Toronto Area, this could be the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Toronto Sun.) Divide the students into working groups of 4–6. Each group will analyze one of the three newspapers. INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS: You are aliens from the planet Xenon, on the way to the first landing on the planet Earth. By intercepting satellite transmissions, you and your fellow aliens have downloaded copies of Earth newspapers. You have 20 minutes to learn about Earthlings from their newspapers before you land. Then we will discuss the findings. You know how to read English, but you are looking at the ‘whole’ paper: the stories and the advertisements taken together. So far, all the knowledge you have of Earth is the newspaper in front of you. Here are the questions you and your group are investigating. Keep track of specific examples to support your answers: 1. What do Earthlings seem especially interested in or obsessed by? 2. What do Earthlings seem afraid of or worried about? 3. Is most of the population male or female? 4. What things are missing from their world? 5. Any overall conclusions or observations about the kind of people they are? Chapter 18: Mass Media and Mass Communication Application Questions 1. Is Your Internet Activity Liberating or Restricting? This exercise is designed to get you to use the sociological imagination to examine your use of the Internet. Track your Internet usage during one week and determine which activities that you engage in on the Internet could be deemed liberating, and which activities could be deemed restrictive. Review Chapter 18 and make a list of the theoretical (functionalist, conflict, etc.) and substantive (access, content, etc.) bases for thinking that the Internet is liberating and restrictive. Transfer these ways of restriction or liberation to the rows of a table. Make seven columns on the table, one for each day of the week. Now track your daily usage of the Internet for a week, using the table you have created. Every time you visit a website, record the number of minutes you spent experiencing the various restrictive or liberating effects identified on the table. After you have collected all the data, write a short report analyzing your weekly surfing habits. Overall, have you found that your use of the Internet is liberating or restrictive? Answer: Answers will vary widely, but the following points are potential considerations related to theoretical perspectives. Functionalists and conflict theorists are usually found focusing on the restrictive aspects of the Internet. Functionalists argue that the four main functions of the mass media are coordination, socialization, social control, and entertainment. First, the mass media help to coordinate information in a large society. Second, the mass media disseminate social norms and values, such as the value of competition found in the general news, business, editorial, and sports sections. Third, the mass media help to promote social control by ensuring mass conformity. Fourth, entertainment serves to reinforce social norms and values. Conflict theorists argue that the Internet contributes to social inequality. On a global scale, the Internet requires an expensive infrastructure that is not possible within the developing world. In the developed world, wealthier households have significantly higher connectivity levels, and connectivity rates are higher in the developed world than in the developing world. They also argue that the Internet is dominated by American interests (media imperialism), which undermines other national cultures. The Internet promotes media convergence (the blending of the telephone, the World Wide Web, television, and other communications media as new, hybrid media forms). Finally, they argue that the mass media use the Internet to serve the interests of dominant classes and political groups: Beliefs, values, and ideas promoted create consent for the basic structures of society; and the mass media are owned by a small number of people (media concentration). Sociologists that focus on the liberating aspects of the Internet usually argue that the Internet provides more opportunities to influence audience than other forms of mass media. It blurs the distinction between producers of information and consumers of information, which makes it a more democratic medium. Social media also affects our identity, social relations, and social activism: it provides more freedom to control one’s presentation of oneself; it creates greater social connectivity across geographical distance; and it grants more opportunities for social activism. Symbolic interactionists provide an alternative perspective to the top–down, deterministic view presented by functionalists and conflict theorists. They argue both perspectives and underestimate how audience members interpret messages. There are only indirect links between media messages and actual behaviour. In cultural studies, researchers focus on how audiences filter and interpret mass media messages in the context of their own interests, experiences, and values. Report: After tracking my Internet usage, I found that my activities are a mix of both liberating and restrictive. While the Internet offers access to diverse information and global connectivity, it also exposes me to echo chambers and privacy concerns, suggesting a balance of both liberating and restrictive effects. 2. Stereotypes on Facebook This exercise is designed to get you to use the sociological imagination to examine common stereotypes that you find on your Facebook account. To perform this exercise, review the feminist perspective on the mass media in Chapter 18. Make some notes listing some of the arguments feminists have made about the representation of women in the mass media. Then, log in to your Facebook account. Scroll the front page searching for comments or general discussions that could be stereotypical. Find at least three examples, and then analyze them using a feminist perspective. Write a paragraph for each example. Then, write an overall summary of your findings. Has this exercise given you a new perspective on the gender stereotypes that you regularly encounter? Do you believe that you passively accepted these stereotypes or actively challenged them? Has this exercise helped you to critically examine them? Answer: In the 1970s, feminists focused on how women were represented in the mass media. Women were usually depicted in subordinate roles and appeared in the domestic sphere, while men were usually depicted in dominant roles in public settings. Early feminist research assumed audiences passively accepted these images as normal. By the 1980s, feminist research on the mass media began to find that women in the audience recognized that real women are more complicated than the stereotypical women portrayed by the mass media. Feminists also examine reoccurring stereotypical images of women of colour in the mass media (e.g., the portraying of the welfare mother, sexualized Jezebel, or mammy as being black). Chapter 18: Mass Media and Mass Communications Media Concentration The Canadian government announced that it was going to auction off four new airwave spectrum (wireless network) bands on January 14, 2014. These airwaves will be used for new wireless services (phone calls, text messages, and emails). The airwaves are very important for the telecommunications industry in Canada because a spectrum licence will allow companies to have access to new and current airwaves and infrastructure (such as cell towers). The new airwaves also have more power, travel further, and can “penetrate … buildings more easily. That means companies don’t need to build as many costly towers to carry their signals. Ottawa could pocket as much as $6 billion over 10 years from the winning bidders, analysts estimate” (Campion-Smith and Whittington, 2013). So if a company wants to expand their networks and increase their speed, they need to be a part of the new airwave spectrum. Companies had until September 17, 2013, to apply for the spectrum auction. Canada’s “Big Three” telecommunications corporations immediately launched a public lobbying campaign called “Fair for Canada.” They wanted the application deadline to be pushed back until there can be a review of the industry regulations. The current regulations will only allow them to bid on one of the four new airwave blocks each. In 2008, the Canadian government passed new regulations to attract foreign investment in the industry. The government lifted “the foreign investment restrictions on companies with less than 10 percent of the telecommunications market” (http://www.consumersfirst.ca). Foreign competitors could apply to purchase two of the four new airwave blocks. Verizon was at the centre of this controversy. Verizon is a large American telecommunications company with a market value roughly two times the combined value of Canada’s Big Three companies. Verizon announced that they would apply for two of the four new airwave blocks. They were also interested in purchasing Wind Mobile and Mobilicity, which are two smaller telecommunications companies currently operating in Canada (Campion-Smith and Whittington, 2013). This issue “pitted big telecommunication companies—and an array of heavyweight lobby groups—such as the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and unions — against consumer groups keen to see the country’s wireless market opened up” (Campion-Smith and Whittington, 2013). The Big Three argued that the regulations granted Verizon unfair advantages. Verizon is already much larger than the Big Three and it could dominate the Canadian marketplace and push them out. Proponents of the regulation argue that this rule is necessary to ensure that there is open competition in Canada. Currently, the Big Three control 90 percent of the Canadian market. By allowing Verizon limited access to the market, consumers would benefit because the prices would lower (see the Conservative Party of Canada’s website at http://www.consumersfirst.ca). After considerable public controversy, Verizon declined to bid to enter the Canadian marketplace. However, the issues raised will likely be recycled in the future, as the Canadian government plans to auction off more wireless bands. Sources: Campion-Smith, Bruce, and Les Whittington. (August 16, 2013). Battle for Canada’s airwaves grows fierce, Toronto Star. Retrieved on August 21, 2013 at http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/08/16/battle_for_canadas_airwaves_grows_fierce.html. Ladurantaye, Steve, and Steven Chase. (August 19, 2013). Rogers CEO warns spectrum auction could result in slower wireless speeds, The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on August 21, 2013 at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rogers-ceo-warns-spectrum-auction-could-slow-wireless-speeds-for-some/article13862405/ Application Questions 1. What is your opinion about “corporate nationalism”? Would you rather buy something from a Canadian company over an American company? What are the main factors you use to determine whether you will purchase something? Answer: "Corporate nationalism" reflects a preference for supporting domestic companies. Personally, I'd prioritize Canadian companies if their products and values align with my needs, but I'd consider factors like quality, price, and ethical practices in my purchase decisions. 2. Do you believe media convergence is good for customers or bad for customers? How does media convergence affect competition? Is it good for democracy? Answer: Media convergence is the blending of the World Wide Web, television, telephone, and other communications media into new, hybrid media forms. It is a form of horizontal integration. Economists argue that by converging different aspects of communications, it will cheapen the cost for the copy and thus make the products cheaper for the customer. Others argue that it leads to monopolies with unfair control over the marketplace, thus giving companies the power to charge higher rates. 3. Is media concentration an issue in Canada? Is there an issue here of media bias? Explain your answer. Answer: Media concentration is ownership of the mass media by a small number of people. Many argue that Canada has a problem with media concentration. Ownership of the mass media by fewer people deprives the public of different independent sources of information and diversity of opinion, and creates a sense of complacency for how society is structured. Conflict theorists argue that when just a few people control the news sources, alternative points of view are silenced. 4. Use the notions of “vertical integration” and “horizontal integration” to analyze this case. Which do you believe is most relevant to this case? Answer: Horizontal integration is the process of acquiring or merging with other companies in the same industry for the purpose of gaining more control over industry. Vertical integration is the process of acquiring companies involved in the overall production of the main product. In this case, both are relevant. The major Canadian media conglomerates established themselves by acquiring other companies in the same industry (horizontal integration); today, they have sought to vertically integrate themselves by acquiring smaller Internet providers and by blocking out American competitors. Chapter 19 – Health and Medicine 1. LEARNING OUTCOMES (WITH BLOOM’S TAXONOMY) After completing this chapter, students should be able to: • Summarize the mechanisms behind and the reasons for improvements in population health over time. • Observe the ways in which morbidity and mortality rates vary by SES, race, ethnicity, and gender. • Describe the influence of health care systems on improvements in population health. • Discuss Canada’s health care system in terms of its structure, as well as the challenges it faces. • Analyze the processes by which medicine has the power to medicalize certain illnesses and conditions. • Assess data that points to the possible weakening of medical authority. 2. WHY IS THIS CHAPTER IMPORTANT TO SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS? Even though all students exist somewhere on the spectrum from healthy to unhealthy, few will have previously considered the topic of health as a social issue, beyond their subjective opinions and personal experiences. This chapter presents an opportunity for students to begin making the connections between their lived experience of health and the social determinants of it. In an era of ballooning health care costs and fiscal restraint, health care issues are constantly front and centre in the media and political debates. In order to objectively analyze and evaluate current discourses on health, students will benefit from a sociological perspective. We are also in an era of the rapid growth in conditions that are endemic to the over-abundance and sedentism of modern industrialized societies: the incidence of obesity just one notable example. A nuanced understanding of health will shift students away from an exclusively “biological” model to one that encompasses the social context of health and illness. The impact of structured inequalities as they relate to race, social class, and gender are strongly evident in health outcomes of citizens worldwide. Moreover, in Canada, many Aboriginal populations are experiencing health outcomes that resemble those found in the world’s poorest countries. Students need an awareness of the structured inequalities and the “third world experiences” found within a “first world nation” in order to more fully understand the realities of Canadian citizens. 3. WHY SHOULD STUDENTS CARE? There is evidence of the connections between negative health outcomes and the persuasive advertising undertaken by pharmaceutical companies and fast-food corporations, in addition to the “less-than-accurate” labelling practices of food companies. Students require knowledge and understanding that will enable them to critically assess drug and food claims in order to make decisions that are optimal for their own health and well-being. Students are living in an age where information is widely available and which enables them to adopt a more active role in determining their own medical diagnoses and remedies. The proliferation of websites devoted to health symptoms and treatments, while providing “instant access” for consultation also requires that students as health consumers have the ability to critically analyze and evaluate the credibility of health information. Between the current issue of growing health care costs and emerging questions about the costs of meeting the health needs of an aging Canadian population, students require a critical understanding of how our system is structured, as well as the inequities that are embedded in the current structure, in order to propose and develop an organization of systems that will deliver efficient, effective, and equitable health care to all groups of people in our society. 4. WHAT ARE COMMON STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS & STUMBLING BLOCKS? Many students will have absorbed the consensus view that health, or the lack of it, is a personal issue that is attributable to the lifestyle choices and decisions of the individual. They may be initially resistant to considering the enormous variability of health, illness and disease in populations that can be linked directly to the historical and social context within which people live. Similarly, students may not have been exposed to the body of evidence about the relationships between social inequality and health. Concrete examples, discussion, and application of concepts will enable the students to go beyond the “blame the individual” focus and to adopt a sociological perspective (see below for suggestions). Mass media reports on the Canadian health care system tend to be slanted toward a focus on the “deficiencies” and the escalating costs of the system. To accurately assess and evaluate how well the Canadian system is operating, students will benefit from discussion of alternative models of health care systems found in other countries (see pp. 491–493). Students tend to take for granted our existing institutions of health care in Canada and assume that “what is has always been.” Providing them with a historical context may enable them to more fully understand, evaluate, and analyze our present-day reality and appreciate the challenges faced by, and the efforts made by, those involved in creating the system (see pp. 493–495 and “The Birth of Medicare” from the CBC archives referenced below). 5. WHAT CAN I DO IN CLASS? At the start of class: Television advertising: “FloNose” (3:17; available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HggGRJnqelQ). View this humourous mock commercial for a prescription product that clears the nasal passages. Follow up with a discussion of drug advertising by American pharmaceutical companies on television. “There’s no money in healthy people”: “Funny but True Facts about Big Pharma, Bill Maher” (1:28; available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdHg6_pDbSI&feature=related). Discuss. (Note: Maher mentions the Duke University study that demonstrates exercise is just as effective as drug therapy for treating depression. See also the 2013 report from Harvard Medical School available at http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Exercise-and-Depression-report-excerpt.htm). “Natural” childbirth: Ask students “where” they were born (i.e., hospital/in a vehicle on the way to the hospital/at home because there wasn’t time to get to the hospital), and then ask them why almost every answer included “hospital.” Use this as a launch into discussing “when medicine became a profession, it also became a monopoly” (p. 494) and the reintroduction of midwifery as a regulated profession in Canada in the 1990s. (See http://www.cjsonline.ca/reviews/midwifery.html). Throughout the class: Small group/Class discussion: “How social networks predict epidemics.” In this 2010 TED talk, social scientist and physician Nicholas Christakis discusses how his research into the intricacies of social networks can assist in predicting disease outbreaks (17:54; available at http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_how_social_networks_predict_epidemics). In what ways is his research a challenge to an individual-focused model of disease and illness? [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: The medicalization of “natural” childbirth: Introduce the students to Nancy Salgueiro, a chiropractor and trained childbirth educator from Barrhaven, Ontario, who decided to “live-stream” the home birth of her third child on the Internet (October 2011). Why has society (over the last few generations) decided that women cannot give birth without being “strapped to machines, poked, prodded, and shot up with all kinds of meds”? Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110929/live-birth-online-110929/#ixzz1fQ0K4Sjo and http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/10/17/ottawa-live-birth-online.html. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Debate: Should prescription drugs be advertised directly to consumers? The Unite States and New Zealand are the only two countries where direct to consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is legal. Even though it is not legal in Canada, Canadian citizens are exposed to these ads daily through television. See http://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/ for arguments supporting both sides. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Think/Pair/Share: Summarize for students the basic outlines of the obesity epidemic in North America. (For Canadian data, see http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/141029/dq141029c-eng.htm. A more visual depiction of changes in the Canadian data is available at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/obesity-rates-across-canada/article9145095/?from=9145083. For an animated map of the increase in obesity in the USA, see http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/map_of_the_week/2013/04/obesity_in_america_cdc_releases_gif_of_epidemic_over_time.html.) From a sociological perspective, what are the root causes of the obesity epidemic, and what might be the best measures to combat it? [Understand/Apply] Think/Pair/Share or Small group discussion: Ask students to discuss/explain the following quotation: “Medicine has become like a secular religion, a view reinforced by the knowledge that belief in its powers is based on myths about the past and faith in the present.” (Hart, 1985, p. 17) [Understand/Apply] Documentary: Sicko (2007, 123 min.). Segments of this Michael Moore documentary are available on YouTube or see http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0b8_1185813069 (8 parts, approximately 15 minutes each). Preview and utilize for discussion of various issues and concepts addressed throughout this chapter. See http://www.michaelmoore.com/books-films/facts/sicko for the references and statistics that are cited in the film. [Understand/Apply/Evaluate] Documentary: Big Bucks, Big Pharma: Marketing Disease and Pushing Drugs (2006, 72 min.). This documentary is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Sggy9mJ8U and a study guide can be found at https://www.mediaed.org/assets/products/224/studyguide_224.pdf. “Big Bucks, Big Pharma pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical industry to expose the insidious ways that illness is used, manipulated, and in some instances created, for capital gain. Focusing on the industry’s marketing practices, media scholars and health professionals help viewers understand the ways in which direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising glamorizes and normalizes the use of prescription medication, and works in tandem with promotion to doctors. Combined, these industry practices shape how both patients and doctors understand and relate to disease and treatment.” A very effective question to ask students after viewing is “What were some of the things that you didn’t know before seeing this?” for beginning a discussion. [Understand/ Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Small group/Class discussion: Address/discuss the questions found in Box 19.2, “The High Cost of Prescription Drugs” (p. 492). Viewing some or all of the Big Bucks, Big Pharma documentary prior to this discussion would be advantageous. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/ Evaluate] Class viewing and discussion: “Emily Oster Flips Our Thinking on AIDS in Africa.” In this 2007 TEDTalk, “Emily Oster re-examines the stats on AIDS in Africa from an economic perspective and reaches a stunning conclusion: Everything we know about the spread of HIV on the continent is wrong.” (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/emily_oster_flips_our_thinking _on_aids_in_africa.html). Watch up to 6 min., 35 sec., and then discuss her argument. [Understand/Apply/Evaluate] Class viewing and discussion: “Richard Wilkinson: How Economic Inequality Harms Societies.” This 17-minute, 2011 TEDTalk is available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang /en/richard_wilkinson.html. (Note: This video was suggested for use in Chapter 8). Wilkinson (social epidemiologist) also gave a 53-minute presentation to a Canadian audience in Toronto (Dec. 2010) that addresses a number of concepts and information found within this chapter (“Big Ideas: Richard Wilkinson on The Age of Unequals,” http://ww3.tvo.org/video/163836/richard-wilkinson-age-unequals). View and discuss the connections between health and economics. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Think/Pair/Share: “Top 10 sociological tips for better health.” Read/display to students the list of alternative tips in the right-hand column (available at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/poverty/healthinequalities.html). What do those tips indicate about the social determinants of health? Discuss in pairs, and then share. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] 6. HOW WILL I KNOW THAT MY STUDENTS HAVE LEARNED THE LOs? Comment paper/Reflection paper: If a documentary/TEDTalk was viewed in class, ask students to write a short paper and submit. End the class with a mini quiz: Focus on multiple-choice questions that address the Learning Objectives of the chapter. Review and discuss the correct answers for each question. (The use of “clicker” technology and turning point slides is very effective for this exercise.) Three-minute essay: Ask students to brainstorm a short list of the session’s main points, choose one, and write a concise summary of it to submit. Ask students (in pairs/small groups) to create and submit a question (with answer): The question should be one that they would like to be included on an upcoming exam. Some of these questions could be developed into a multiple-choice format and used at the start of the next class as a review of the material from this session. It allows students to engage with the exam creation, and if used as part of the next session’s opening questions, it enables them to self-assess their learning and engagement in the previous session. Set up an online survey tool account: (i.e., www.toofast.ca) Ask/instruct students to answer one or two questions, such as What did I learn today that precipitated an “aha” moment? What did I not understand in today’s class? (This provides you with feedback on the teaching in addition to the student learning. The difficulties with understanding could then be addressed in the next class.) MindTap: Refer your students to www.nelson.com/student, to access the MindTap for Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. MindTap is a personalized program of digital products and services that engages students with interactivity while offering students and instructors choice in content, platforms, devices, and learning tools. This resource includes quiz questions, videos, and articles that are accompanied by thought-provoking questions that challenge students to think critically about current issues and events. Ask students to utilize this learning tool, and bring to the next class any questions (difficulties) they may have in regards to information from this chapter. 7. HOW CAN I ASSESS MY OWN “PERFORMANCE”? A critical reflection on my own practice: insights and understandings: A. Did I get the attention of my students at the beginning of class? a. What did I do? Did it work? How? If not, why not? b. Did I get the right kind of attention, or the wrong kind? B. Did I allot enough time for student dialogue/participation/engagement in the learning process? a. If not, why not? b. Is there any material that can (or should) be minimized or removed in order to allow for student input and participation? c. Are there ways of transferring some of the content online to open up more time in class for participation and engagement? C. How could I incorporate more student input and participation? (e.g., clicker questions, think/pair/share, one-minute summaries) D. Were my students engaged and/or focused? If so: a. What tells me that they were? b. What concepts were we covering? c. What precisely were they engaged with and/or focused on? (i.e., video clip, documentary, debate, small group discussion, whole class discussion) d. Were there unexpected moments of engagement, i.e., in group discussion, that I recognized and incorporated? If not: a. When did I lose them? b. Why did they disengage/lose focus? E. Did I integrate formative assessment of student learning throughout the “lecture”? a. What did I do? b. Did these assessments suggest to me that they understood the key concepts? If not, was I prepared to alter my plan in response? F. Did I request feedback from the students on their learning experience in this class? i.e.: a. Submission of an “aha” moment they had b. Informal summary (point form) addressing two or three concepts covered c. Five (ten) minutes for “debriefing” at the end (of class or topic)—“What” are your questions? (not “Are there any questions?”) d. Refer students to an online survey (e.g., Blackboard learning system, toofast.ca). G. Some things to consider for the next class (modifications to consider when teaching this chapter again): a. What worked really well, and why? b. What could/should/might I do differently next time to improve student engagement and learning? H. What did I learn about this topic? What insights did I gather from my students? Were any of those insights surprising to me? I. What did I learn about my teaching, and what can I do to modify my teaching as a result? 8. WHAT OTHER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE? [Supplementary Resources] Berlow, Stuart, Len Paulozzi, and Shane Diekman. 2008. “Prescription Drug Overdose: State Health Agencies Respond.” ASTHO; available at http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/pubs/RXReport_web-a.pdf. Brock, Deborah, Rebecca Raby, and Mark P. Thomas (eds). 2012. POWER and Everyday Practices. Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd. See Chapter 9, “The Culture of Therapy: Psychocentrism in Everyday Life,” by Heidi Rimke and Deborah Brock. Cahill, Heather A. 2001. “Male Appropriation and Medicalization of Childbirth: An Historical Analysis.” Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol. 33, Iss. 3 (Feb. 2001), pp. 334–342. Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Available at http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb /splash.html. See also “Wait Times in Canada – A Comparison by Province, 2011,” available at http://www.cihi.ca/cihi-ext-portal/internet/en/document/health+system+performance /access+and+wait+times/release_21mar11. Cosgrove, Lisa, Sheldon Krimsky, Manisha Vijayaraghavan, and Lisa Schneider. 2006. “Financial Ties between DSM-IV Panel Members and the Pharmaceutical Industry.” Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Vol. 75, pp. 154–160. Available at http://www.tufts.edu/~skrimsky/PDF/DSM%20COI.PDF. Hart, N. 1985. The Sociology of Health and Medicine. Causeway Press Ltd: Ormskirk. Hyman, I. and R. Wray. 2013. Health Inequalities and Racialized Groups – A Review of the Evidence. [Toronto Public Health.] Available at http://www1.toronto.ca/City Of Toronto/Toronto Public Health/Healthy Public Policy/PDF Reports Repository/Health Inequalities and Racialized Groups A Review of the Ev_2.pdf Janssen, Patricia A., Lee Saxell, Lesley A. Page, Michael C. Klein, Robert M. Liston, and Shoo K. Lee. 2009. “Outcomes of Planned Home Birth with Registered Midwife versus Planned Hospital Birth with Midwife or Physician.” CMAJ, 2009. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.081869. Available at http://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/6-7/377.full.pdf. Kirkup, Gill, and Laurie Smith (eds). 1992. Inventing Women: Science, Technology and Gender. United Kingdom: Polity Press. Moss, Michael. 2013. “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food.” The New York Times Magazine. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. Rosehan, D.L. 1973. “On Being Sane in Insane Places.” Science, Vol. 179, no. 4070 (Jan. 19, 1973), pp. 250–258. Available at http://cooley.libarts.wsu.edu/soc3611/Documents /Being_Sane_in_Insane_Places.pdf. Schroff, Farah M. (ed). 1997. The New Midwifery: Reflections on Renaissance and Regulation. Toronto: Women’s Press. Welch, H. Gilbert. 2011. Over-Diagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health. Boston: Beacon Press. 9. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WITH SUGGESTED ANSWERS 1. Since health resources are scarce, tough decisions have to be made about how they are allocated. Given the coming challenges to the health care system posed by our aging population (the so-called “grey tsunami”), what are some sociological insights that could be brought to bear on changes to the system? Answer: Sociological insights suggest prioritizing preventative care and community-based health services to manage the demands of an aging population. Emphasizing equity and access can address disparities, while integrating family and caregiver support into health policies can improve outcomes. Understanding social determinants of health helps in designing comprehensive strategies to address the needs of an older demographic effectively. 2. Some poor health outcomes stem from individual choices, such as the use of cigarettes, excessive alcohol consumption, and refusal to avoid risk (e.g., driving without a seatbelt). When, if ever, should such factors be taken into account in choosing levels of medical treatment? Should it make a difference whether or not public funding is at issue? Answer: Individual choices affecting health should be considered in medical treatment decisions to some extent, especially if they impact resource allocation. However, prioritizing treatment based on personal behavior could be ethically complex and potentially discriminatory. Public funding should ideally focus on providing equitable care while encouraging preventative measures, rather than penalizing individuals for their choices. 3. Do you believe that patient activism and alternative medicines improve health care or detract from the efforts of scientifically trained physicians and researchers to do the best possible research and administer the beat possible treatment? Because patient activists may not be scientifically trained and because alternative therapies may not be experimentally proven, are there inherent dangers in these challenges to traditional medicine? Conversely, do biases in traditional medicine detract from health care by ignoring the needs of patient activists and the possible benefits of alternative therapies? Answer: Answers will vary by student and may/should include references to information found on p. 501 of the text. Patient activism and alternative medicines can both complement and challenge traditional healthcare. Activism may drive improvements by advocating for patient needs and highlighting gaps in conventional care. However, unproven alternative therapies can pose risks if they divert resources or lead to ineffective treatments. Traditional medicine can benefit from integrating valuable insights from patient experiences and alternative approaches while maintaining scientific rigor. Chapter 19: Health and Medicine Application Questions 1. Thinking Sociologically about “Sin Taxes” on Food Imagine you have just purchased some items at your local convenience store—paper towel rolls, a bottle of orange juice, a pack of salted cashews, and a large carbonated soda. On your way out of the store, as you review your receipt, you are shocked at what you see; you were not charged tax on the paper towels, the juice, or the cashews, but you were charged a 20 percent tax on your soda. This is called a sin tax. A sin tax is the idea of applying additional or large amounts of taxes to items deemed unhealthy. It is seen as a kind of policy suggestion to combat obesity and other health issues related to the lifestyle factor of diet. Applying taxes to items deemed unhealthy is controversial, but it isn’t a new idea. In Canada, and in many other parts of the world, taxes are used to deter individuals—especially youth—from purchasing tobacco products. The idea is that many people will be priced out of an unhealthy habit. In the case of smoking tobacco, they may then never have the “chance” to become addicted to an unhealthy product. In New York City, the sale of large sodas was banned outright until recently, which was an effort similar in spirit to the sin tax. Some critics of processed unhealthy foods, health professionals, and government officials have proposed a sin tax to help address health challenges and alleviate the burden of the health care system to handle these sorts of health issues related to lifestyle. This is the argument in support of sin taxes. Sociologically, we know that lifestyle factors like diet really do have an impact on mortality and morbidity, but what might be the sociological argument against sin taxes? Fast food and other convenience food items may be less healthy, but they are also often less expensive than healthier food options. They may also be more convenient for busy working families, particularly families working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Explain how a sin tax might then unintentionally contribute to the reproduction of class inequality. Answer: A sin tax is not just a matter of thinking about the relationship between food and health. Sociologically, we know that morbidity and mortality are also connected to people’s social circumstances. For example, the rich tend to enjoy better health than the poor. In another example, the poor are more likely to live in areas marked by environmental racism. Applying a sin tax may disadvantage poorer citizens of our country who largely consume these items, as they are inexpensive and convenient. It would be the poor, then, who would be most likely to pay these additional taxes. True, it may prove beneficial for health in the long run. However, it would add an additional financial burden to their lives, and make it that much more difficult to “get ahead” in terms of wealth, income, and financial stability. 2. Adolescent Health in International Perspective No modern society advocates for more teenage pregnancy, more teenage births, higher teenage abortion rates, as well as higher rates of HIV and STDs among young people. Still, modern societies show considerable variation in the amount of these outcomes among adolescents. Go to the following website and review the graphs on the charts on the first two pages, which compare the United States to France, Germany, and the Netherlands: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/fsest.pdf Now go to the following website and read the newspaper report on the work of sociologist Amy Schalet: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/blogs/thenextgreatgeneration/2012/03/umass_prof_amy_schalet_offers.html Write up a short report that addresses the following issues: 1. What pattern do you see in this evidence? 2. What sociological differences are there between the United States and Europe that might explain the differential outcomes? Answers: Key points include the following: 1. Across indicators of adolescent sexual health, the United States performs poorly compared to the European nations. 2. Large segments of American society see adolescent sexuality as problematic and moralistic. Europeans, by contrast, generally view adolescent sexuality as another pragmatic area where responsible adaptive strategies require development. As a result, European adolescents obtain more support and direction for dealing with sexual issues, compared to American youth, who often experience sex under risky conditions. The results of these different cultural and socialization orientations are demonstrated in the evidence. Chapter 19: Health and Medicine Health and Medicine What if your doctor told you that you have an incurable, potentially life-threatening disease in which you will experience bladder and bowel dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, vision problems, fatigue, walking difficulty, pain, numbness, dizziness, swallowing disorders, tremors, and other symptoms? Assuming we can somehow rationalize how we will deal with these problems, we are then confronted with the enormity of how they will surely affect our employability, insurability, and marriage-ability. The best that can be done, you are told, would be to treat some of your symptoms. You want to play the “sick role” here, doing everything possible to be well—follow your doctor’s advice and stick to your treatment regime—but the fighter in you feels this is not good enough and that it is your life after all. So, you seek out alternatives, like food supplements in order to build your immune system. Then, there are other courses of action you feel you must investigate because there’s something called Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that’s taken over your life and you’re not willing to give in to it, just yet. And, you’re not alone. Steve Garvie of Barrie, Ontario, has also challenged his MS prognosis. It came at a point where he wanted more control over his body after ten years of living with MS. Garvie underwent a simple angioplasty (others might receive venoplasty) procedure to unblock a vein in his neck—now referred to as the liberation procedure and famously introduced to the world by Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni (Alphonso, 2010). Canadians with MS showed heightened interest in Zamboni’s research, probably because Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. The procedure has presented some medical controversy, in both traditional and non-traditional medicine. [Note: The first known, recorded death from the liberation procedure happened in November 2010]. Dr. Zamboni believes that MS is a vascular condition and not an autoimmune disorder. Many medical professionals remain hopeful yet sceptical about Zamboni’s work as it is still very new. The sample size, which included his wife as one treated patient, is still small, and longitudinal results, obviously, are not yet available. So, it’s a “wait and see” approach from the point of view of medical professionals. This “wait and see” approach was not an option for many MS patients who, like Garvie, sought out the angioplasty procedure. Less than an hour after the procedure, Garvie “could move his left hand and left leg, which he couldn’t do before (Alphonso, 2010: para 7). Two issues are at play here: medical innovation and patient exploitation. Our need and desire for the newest, most superior treatment makes us prime targets for questionable medical practices and can contribute to further health risks. In response to Zamboni’s alternative procedure, a team of doctors was set up to further study whether MS is in fact a vascular problem. As with most scientific research, it must go through an ethical review; as well, there must be funding provided for this research. All these are necessary protocols some say, while others simply call it “red tape.” Nevertheless, it is ultimately a frustrating time for those who want answers and who can neither afford to wait nor afford to pay for alternative, private treatments through such routes as Surgery Tourism Canada. Indeed, persons who live in countries where medical care is inferior may seek out medical tourism as a way to receive superior medical care and a vacation all in one trip. However, this is more of an exception than the norm. Source: Alphonso, Caroline. (May 10, 2010). “MS patient has ‘energy to burn’ after new procedure.” Available at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ms-patient-has-energy-to-burn-after-new-procedure/article1533739/ Application Questions 1. Explain how medical tourism is at odds with the “sick role.” Answer: The sick role, as conceptualized by Talcott Parsons, involves suspending your daily routine and responsibilities, wanting to be well, seeking competent help, and cooperating with health care practitioners at all times. Medical tourism also involves wanting to be well, but the patient in question might not be cooperating with their health care practitioners if they are seeking what they believe to be competent help elsewhere, including in another country. The sick role is generally regarded as a passive role, while an individual seeking medical care in another country is using a lot of initiative and resources, participating very actively in their own treatment. 2. Explain medical tourism from conflict and functionalist perspectives. Answer: A conflict theorist would argue that medical tourism supports a two-tier health care system, with the unwealthy able to access quicker and/or better care in other countries due to the financial cost associated with it. It is a system that allows the wealthy to use their privilege to stay healthier than those with fewer resources. A functionalist would argue that medical tourism is acceptable because it provides additional health care to those who can afford it; if they can afford it, it is because they are working important jobs that pay well, and therefore deserve to have whatever health care they desire or need. 3. Using medical tourism as part of your answer, how do you think life expectancy might be related to national wealth? Answer: Life expectancy is not always associated with the wealth of a nation. The United States is a great example of this; they are a wealthy nation with high health expenditures, but their overall health is not as good as other countries that spend more, the same, or less on health. But in countries with a lot of wealth, it is possible that more citizens within those countries would be able to afford whatever health care they desired or required, including medical tourism. Chapter 20 – Population and Urbanization 1. LEARNING OUTCOMES (WITH BLOOM’S TAXONOMY) After completing this chapter, students should be able to: • Appraise the “population explosion” hypothesis. • Explain the ways in which population growth is affected by social inequality and industrialization. • Judge the ways in which urbanization has been affected by industrialization and other factors. • Describe the Chicago school’s strengths and weaknesses. • Observe how the spatial and cultural forms of cities within societies are largely dependent on the level of development of the society. 2. WHY IS THIS CHAPTER IMPORTANT TO SOCIOLOGY STUDENTS? Amidst recurring concerns about overpopulation of the planet, students need to have the critical tools to sift through myriad and confusing demographic, environmental and economic data in order to judge for themselves the seriousness of the population issue. Because of the influence of inequality and other social variables on population, the sociological perspective opens up new ways of thinking about the issue. This chapter will also provide students with an important perspective on the diverse demographic challenges humans are facing, from aging populations to high fertility rates; and the emergence of mega-cities where jobs are plentiful but with a high cost of living, to areas where cost of living may be lower, but basic services and jobs may be in short supply. In addition, the growing importance of urban life and explosive urbanization places its own demands on the knowledge and problem-solving abilities of students. 3. WHY SHOULD STUDENTS CARE? This topic is at once local and global in many respects. Every individual, every government, and every business is more interconnected and interdependent than ever, and we have to plan for being a global citizenry of 9 billion (projected) by the year 2050. Degradation of the world’s environment, income inequality, and the potential for conflict exist in a context of rapid population growth and urbanization. The fertility rate has been falling in Canada over the last number of decades and currently stands at 1.7, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. Furthermore, the aging of the population will accelerate between 2011 and 2031 as baby boomers reach the age of 65. In 2026, the first of the baby boomers will be turning 80, an age of high mortality. As a result, Canada’s actual population will fall without a sustained level of immigration (or a substantial increase in fertility). Students will be living in and experiencing the repercussions of this societal reality. 4. WHAT ARE COMMON STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS & STUMBLING BLOCKS? Theories of urbanization and data about global population growth may appear unappealingly abstract to students. Integrating activities that require active participation and engagement (e.g., small group discussions, demonstrations, “guest speakers” via TEDTalks, etc.) may help to improve their interest level and regain their attention (see below for suggestions). More to the point, the challenge will be to make the connections between global trends and the fabric of our students’ lives. Population is a value-laden subject and students may adopt an “us versus them” perspective, thinking that population control and family planning issues are not a Western world problem. Rather, other countries are the major population contributors (i.e., China and India) and “they” are responsible for the burgeoning population numbers. This requires that discussion goes beyond the “what is” to exploring and discussing the “why it is,” with a particular focus on the well-established inverse relationship between economic well-being and population growth. The challenges from the growth in population include the massive inequalities between different countries in access to food, water, housing, and work. In considering the scope of the challenges facing urban areas in developing countries, it can be difficult to see prospects for change and development and students may consider the task to be too daunting to even contemplate. But as Hans Rosling asserts (see “Hans Rosling on Global Population Growth” referenced below), “I’m not an optimist, neither am I a pessimist. I’m a very serious ‘possibilist.” Students will benefit from adopting this attitude. 5. WHAT CAN I DO IN CLASS? At the start of class: World Population Perspective: Show the 2011 video, “7 Billion, National Geographic Magazine,” (2:58; available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4HxPxNrZ0) to introduce this chapter. (Note: At 2 min., 34 sec., it reports the total number of countries as being 194, but with the recognition of the Republic of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, it is now 195). U.S. and World Population Clock: (Available at http://www.census.gov/popclock/). Begin the class asking the students to make a note of the population figure. After you have made your opening remarks, refresh the page to present an “up-to-the-moment” figure. Discuss the increase and the impact it has/may have on society—is this rate of increase concerning? 7 Billion: How Did We Get So Big So Fast? This 2011 clip provides an excellent visual overview of world population growth and introduction to chapter material (2:33; available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcSX4ytEfcE). Throughout the class: Think/Pair/Share or Small group/Class discussion: Display Figure 20.2 (age/sex pyramids of Mexico and Canada for 2017) on page 507 of the text and ask students to discuss and answer the question: Why do they look so different? [Understand/Apply/Analyze] Class discussion: See http://www.footwork.com/pyramids.asp for an animated population pyramid illustrating the Canadian population’s changing age structure from 1871 through 2051 (projected). It features control buttons and can be stopped for discussion and analysis. Ask students to consider the impacts that the demographics will have on various sectors of society—i.e., the demand (cost) for public services such as schools, hospitals, daycare centres, and the effects on employment rates, Canada pension plan costs, etc. [Understand/Apply/Analyze] Lecture enhancer: “Gapminder Video #2 – Urbanization.” In this 2007 video, Hans Rosling provides a deft historical overview of global urbanization (4:44; available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w33hPL4tdNg). What are the different implications of the “urban challenge” in the developing world? Discuss. [Understand/Apply/Analyze] Lecture enhancer: “The Growth of Megacities.” This 2013 data visualization does an effective job of emphasizing that the growth of megacities, is increasingly a phenomenon of the developing world (1:29; available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyVL9WqmMeA). [Understand] Small group discussion: “Hunger is not caused by a scarcity of food but a scarcity of democracy” (Frances Moore Lappe). “Famine is the characteristic of some people not having enough food to eat. It is not the characteristic of there not being enough food to eat” (Amartya Sen, p. 516 in text). Ask students to discuss and explain what Lappe and Sen mean. [Understand/Apply/Analyze] Lecture enhancer: View “7 Billion and Counting,” a 2011 video, and discuss demographic transition (3:35; available at http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2011/world-population-data-sheet/video-7-billion.aspx). [Understand/Apply] Class discussion: “Hans Rosling on Global Population Growth.” A 2010, 10 min. TEDTalk available at http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/hans_rosling_on_global_population_growth.html. “The world’s population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years—and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can we check population growth.” View and discuss. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Documentary: “Great Cities: Rise of the Megalopolis.” This 2009 documentary puts into context the differences between urbanization in the industrialized world and the uncontrolled urban growth that is characteristic of the developing world (51:22; available at Films on Demand, http://digital.films.com/play/R3YZM9). View and discuss. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] Class discussion: “Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto.” A 2006, 18 min., 33 sec. TEDTalk available at http://www.ted.com/talks/majora_carter_s_tale_of_urban_renewal.html. “In an emotionally charged talk, MacArthur-winning activist Majora Carter details her fight for environmental justice in the South Bronx—and shows how minority neighborhoods suffer most from flawed urban policy.” View and discuss within the context of “new urban sociology.” [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] The Garden: This 2008 (80 min.) documentary is addressed on p. 516 of text. “The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.” Available for purchase at http://www.blackvalleyfilms.com/films/the-garden/. View and discuss. [Understand/Apply/Analyze/Evaluate] 6. HOW WILL I KNOW THAT MY STUDENTS HAVE LEARNED THE LOs? Comment paper/Reflection paper: If a documentary/TEDTalk was viewed in class, ask students to write a short paper and submit. End the class with a mini quiz: Focus on multiple-choice questions that address the Learning Objectives of the chapter. Review and discuss the correct answers for each question. (The use of “clicker” technology and turning point slides is very effective for this exercise.) Ask students to write a concise summary: (i.e., point form/list) of the session answering: “What did I learn today?” and submit. Ask students (in pairs/small groups) to create and submit a question (with answer): The question should be one that they would like to be included on an upcoming exam. Some of these questions could be developed into a multiple-choice format and used at the start of the next class as a review of the material from this session. It allows students to engage with the exam creation, and if used as part of the next session’s opening questions, it enables them to self-assess their learning and engagement in the previous session. Set up an online survey tool account: (i.e., www.toofast.ca) Ask/instruct students to answer one or two questions, such as What did I learn today that precipitated an “aha” moment? What did I not understand in today’s class? (This provides you with feedback on the teaching in addition to the student learning. The difficulties with understanding could then be addressed in the next class.) MindTap: Refer your students to www.nelson.com/student to access the MindTap for Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. MindTap is a personalized program of digital products and services that engages students with interactivity while offering students and instructors choice in content, platforms, devices, and learning tools. This resource includes quiz questions, videos, and articles that are accompanied by thought-provoking questions that challenge students to think critically about current issues and events. Ask students to utilize this learning tool, and bring to the next class any questions (difficulties) they may have in regards to information from this chapter. 7. HOW CAN I ASSESS MY OWN “PERFORMANCE”? A critical reflection on my own practice: insights and understandings: A. Did I get the attention of my students at the beginning of class? a. What did I do? Did it work? How? If not, why not? b. Did I get the right kind of attention, or the wrong kind? B. Did I allot enough time for student dialogue/participation/engagement in the learning process? a. If not, why not? b. Is there any material that can (or should) be minimized or removed in order to allow for student input and participation? c. Are there ways of transferring some of the content online to open up more time in class for participation and engagement? C. How could I incorporate more student input and participation? (e.g., clicker questions, think/pair/share, one-minute summaries) D. Were my students engaged and/or focused? If so: a. What tells me that they were? b. What concepts were we covering? c. What precisely were they engaged with and/or focused on? (i.e., video clip, documentary, debate, small group discussion, whole class discussion) d. Were there unexpected moments of engagement, i.e., in group discussion, that I recognized and incorporated? If not: a. When did I lose them? b. Why did they disengage/lose focus? E. Did I integrate formative assessment of student learning throughout the “lecture”? a. What did I do? b. Did these assessments suggest to me that they understood the key concepts? If not, was I prepared to alter my plan in response? F. Did I request feedback from the students on their learning experience in this class? i.e.: a. Submission of an “aha” moment they had b. Informal summary (point form) addressing two or three concepts covered c. Five (ten) minutes for “debriefing” at the end (of class or topic)—“What” are your questions? (not “Are there any questions?”) d. Refer students to an online survey (e.g., Blackboard learning system, toofast.ca). G. Some things to consider for the next class (modifications to consider when teaching this chapter again): a. What worked really well, and why? b. What could/should/might I do differently next time to improve student engagement and learning? H. What did I learn about this topic? What insights did I gather from my students? Were any of those insights surprising to me? I. What did I learn about my teaching, and what can I do to modify my teaching as a result? 8. WHAT OTHER RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE? [Supplementary Resources] Florida, Richard. 2003. “Cities and the Creative Class.” Available at http://creativeclass.com/rfcgdb/articles/4 Cities and the Creative Class.pdf. Florida, Richard, et al. 2014. “The Divided City and the Shape of the New Metropolis.” Available at http://martinprosperity.org/2014/08/25/the-divided-city/. Hopfenberg, Russell, and David Pimentel. 2001. “Human Population Numbers as a Function of Food Supply.” Environment, Development and Sustainability. Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 1–15. Also available at http://www.panearth.org/WVPI/Papers/HumanPopulationNumbers.pdf. The National Academies – Committee on Population. Available at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cpop/index.html. National Geographic. Education: Population 7 Billion (Learn about Population Density and Human Impacts). Available at http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/collections /population-7-billion/. This webpage offers links to interactive maps—i.e., Population Density, Lights at Night, etc. Population Connection. Available at http://www.populationconnection.org. See fact sheet found at http://www.populationconnection.org/site/DocServer/7_Billion_2012.pdf?docID=2781. Population Media Center. Available at http://www.populationmedia.org. Population Reference Bureau. Available at http://www.prb.org. Provides current data on fertility, mortality, and population growth for countries around the world and other international topics (i.e., education, environment, health, etc.; see http://www.prb.org/DataFinder/Topic.aspx). See also their “Graphics Bank: Population Basics” at http://www.prb.org/Publications /GraphicsBank/PopulationTrends.aspx for a collection of PowerPoint graphics that could be utilized throughout a lecture and/or for discussion purposes. Statistics Canada. 2012. “Population growth in Canada: From 1851 to 2061.” Available at http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-310-x/98-310-x2011003_1-eng.cfm. See also “Canada’s Rural Population since 1851.” Available at http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-310-x/98-310-x2011003_2-eng.cfm. Tobias, Michael, Bob Gillespie, Elizabeth Hughes, and Jane Gray Morrison (eds). 2005. No Vacancy: Global Responses to the Human Population Explosion. Pasadena, CA: Hope Publishing House. United Nations. 2004. “World Population to 2300.” Available at http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.pdf. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. “World Urbanization Prospects: The 2009 Revision.” Available at http://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/index.htm. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. “Urban Population, Development and the Environment 2011” (wall chart). Available at http://www.unorg/esa/population/publications/2011UrbanPopDevEnv_Chart/2011Urban_wallchart.pdf. 9. QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WITH SUGGESTED ANSWERS 1. Which do you think is cause for more alarm – rapid population growth in the developing world, or the inequalities that are accompanying it? Answer: Answers will vary by student and may/should include references to Malthus and theory (p. 508–509), demographic transition theory (pp. 509–512), population and social inequality (pp. 512–513), class inequality and overpopulation (pp. 513–514), and urbanization (pp. 514–523). Both rapid population growth in the developing world and accompanying inequalities are cause for concern, but the latter may be more alarming due to its broader social implications. Inequalities can exacerbate issues like poverty, health disparities, and social instability, complicating efforts to manage population growth and improve living conditions. Addressing both issues simultaneously is crucial for sustainable development and equity. 2. Pick any large Canadian city that you are familiar with, and explain the degree to which the city you have chosen confirms or refutes the concentric zone model of the Chicago school. Answer: Answers will vary by student and may/should include references to text information on urbanization (pp. 515–519). In Toronto, the concentric zone model of the Chicago school is somewhat reflected but also challenged. While the city exhibits a central business district surrounded by increasingly residential and industrial zones, modern urban development features more complex patterns like mixed-use neighborhoods and sprawling suburbs. This indicates a shift towards more polycentric and diverse urban structures, deviating from the classic concentric model. Chapter 20: Population and Urbanization Application Questions 1. How Much Room Do You Need? The text talks about suburbanism as a central trend shaping the nature of cities after World War II. Suburbanism refers to a way of life outside city centres, organized mainly around the needs of children and involving higher levels of conformity and sociability than life in the central city. A main attraction of suburbs is the opportunity to own a detached home and the associated freedom this asset provides. There have been remarkable changes in Canadians homes in the last half-century (Banerjee, 2012). For example, in 1975, our average house size was 1050 square feet. Today, it is slightly less than 2000 square feet. And, while house sizes have grown, occupant density has shrunk. In 1971, occupancy was 3.5 persons per household. Today, that number is 2.5 persons per household. The trend is clear: Canadians value more living space. At the same time as we place a greater value on enhanced living space, the cost of this space has risen dramatically. At the turn of the century, average house prices were about 3.2 times average incomes. Today, the average house price is over 6 times the average income. The financial and other pressures of purchasing homes should lead us to critically ask: How much space do we really need? One reason this is a challenging question to answer is that we typically lack a reference standard. Your level of satisfaction with anything requires explicitly or implicitly answering the question: Compared to what? If you are expecting a test grade of A and you received a B, you are dissatisfied. However, the same grade brings considerable satisfaction if you were expecting to fail. The same holds true for housing space. In thinking about social issues, it is useful to have a sense of what the situation is like in other places on the globe. Other peoples’ experience can act as useful reference standards for calibrating our own thinking. Here is the evidence on average house sizes in various countries. Here are international data on household density, measured by space per capita. Sources: Banerjee, Preet. 2012. “Our love affair with home ownership might be doomed,” The Globe and Mail. September 6, 2012. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/mortgages/our-love-affair-with-home-ownership-might-be-doomed/article2306454/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2306454. Accessed November 30, 2014. Images in text from: http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/how-big-is-a-house Accessed November 30, 2014. Review these international data and write up a report that addresses the following issues: • Where does the Canadian experience rank by international standards? • Where do your own values and aspirations locate you with respect to the Canadian norm for housing space? Do you think you will be able to achieve your housing dreams in the future? What social factors will influence your likely experience? Answer: Answers will vary. Key points include the following: • The average Canadian experience is among the most expansive on the globe. Our average house size (at 1948 ft2) is only exceeded by Australia and the United States. France and Germany’s average size is two-thirds ours, while that of the United Kingdom and Sweden is less than half. Roughly the same pattern holds for household density. • Most students at university are relatively privileged, so it is likely they will want to meet or exceed the Canadian norms. Whether they will be successful in achieving their dreams is questionable, given the rising costs of homes and the vagaries of employment and the economy. In the face of these uncertain social conditions, youth may be beginning to recalibrate their expectations about what is desirable at what cost. Canada ranks high internationally in terms of housing space per capita, often placing among the top in terms of average living area. Personally, my values align with the Canadian norm, valuing spacious living environments. However, achieving my housing aspirations may be challenged by rising real estate prices and economic factors. Social factors like income growth and housing policies will significantly influence my ability to attain these dreams. 2. Aboriginal Issues and Canadian Society The following image contains two population pyramids: that of the Aboriginal population (in yellow) is superimposed on that of other Canadians (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 2011). Carefully review these two population pyramids and write up a report that addresses the following issues: • What are the major differences between these two population groups? • How do you predict these pyramids will change in the next decade? • What are the socio-economic implications of your forecast? Source: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. 2011. “Aboriginal Demographics from the 2011 National Household Survey.” https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1370438978311/1370439050610 Accessed November 30, 2014. Answer: Answers will vary; however, the following observations are pertinent: • The base of the Aboriginal pyramid is much wider than that of other Canadians. Since the general shape of a population pyramid is driven by fertility rates, the wide base of the Aboriginal pyramid reflects their comparatively higher current birth rates. The “other Canadians” experienced their high fertility rates shortly after World War II, producing the “baby boomer” generation. The “boomers” are now at or near retirement age, which is why the segments of the pyramid over 45 years are so wide. • Assuming that fertility rates remain about the same (higher among Aboriginals and lower among “other Canadians”), then the shape of the population pyramids will be even more exaggerated. The baby boomers will be even ten years older and the other Canadian grouping will be even “greyer” than it currently is. By contrast, the Aboriginal pyramid will also be more exaggerated. As the base widens, their population will become even “younger.” • These trends will have significant socio-economic implications. Remember the importance of a society’s dependency ratio, expressed as the proportion of non-working aged members who need support from working-aged members. The non-working age groups include the young (who are exaggerated in the Aboriginal group) and the old (who are exaggerated in the other Canadians group). In short, the dependency ratio of Canada is about to become higher, which means there will be more strain and demand on the comparatively smaller working age communities. The two population pyramids likely differ in age distribution and dependency ratios. Over the next decade, aging populations may shift pyramids towards a broader top, indicating a growing elderly demographic. This shift could strain social services and affect economic productivity, emphasizing the need for policy adjustments in healthcare and retirement planning. Chapter 20: Population and Urbanization Demographic Dividend and Development The current world population is greater than 7 billion and will likely reach over 10 billion by the end of the century. This is a huge number of people for the planet and national economies to sustain. For most people, 7 billion is an inconceivably large number. Review the following National Geographic video to get some sense of proportion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X5d9sKm1FE The growth in world population is not evenly distributed. In fact, in many developed regions of the globe, absent immigration, populations would rapidly diminish. Here is one illustration. The combined current population of Germany and France approaches 150 million. This is the same number by which the population of Europe would decline by mid-century without immigration. By contrast, populations are growing rapidly in many less developed regions of the planet. Fertility rates affect the shape of a country’s population pyramid. High fertility rates create a wide base, which, in turn, affects the dependency ratio. A nation’s dependency ratio divides the population of those (young and old) not of working ages by those of working ages. High dependency ratios create challenges, since those not working (dependents) need to be either sustained (or neglected) by those who are. The current wide bases of population pyramids in developing nations contribute to larger dependency ratios. The United Nations has recently issued a report on the effect of the world’s 1.8 billion youth on socioeconomic development. A summary of this report is available at the following link: http://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/EN-SWOP%20EX%20SUM-Final-web_0.pdf Application Questions 1. What is the report’s main conclusion about the ongoing effects of youth populations? What underwrites their argument? Answer: The report is optimistic about the large number of young people on the planet. It sees them as a resource that will underwrite socioeconomic development, especially in less developed regions. This will occur through a “demographic dividend.” This dividend will occur through the dramatic shift in the dependency ratio, which will occur when these young people enter the workforce. 2. What obstacles exist to capturing the demographic dividend? Answer: The presence of a large proportion of young people is necessary but insufficient for capturing a demographic dividend. The youth group must have the human capital to be productive participants in the economy, and this is by no means inevitable in developing regions. It requires strategic, targeted investments in young people’s capabilities. Solution Manual for Sociology My Compass for a New World Robert J. Brym, Lance W. Roberts, Lisa Strohschein, John Lie 9780176532031, 9780495763963