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Civic Engagement Project

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Civic Engagement Project

I never believed how in-depth the concept of civil engagement was until I participated in this class. I did not volunteer for Homer’s Heroes because of this course, however I do volunteer every year during the summer for the last 3 years. I have to admit my motives were selfish, in that the individuals help me more than I think I help them, while being a good person, I was not being a good citizen. (Etzioni, 1999) In this paper, I will describe why I chose Homer’s Heroes, the experiences I had, and how it related to this course.
Nineteen years ago, I gave birth to a son that was mentally and physically handicapped, he lived 6 days and passed away because of his birth defects. Nine years later my parents were …show more content…

My experience however demonstrated just how important it is to be a good citizen, and how that civic thread continues to flow through the fabric of our society. “. . . that the quality of public life and the performance of social institutions (and not only in America) are indeed powerfully influenced by norms and networks of civic engagement.” (Putnam, 1995) As demonstrated in this component civic engagement crucial to our society in so many aspects however it seems that like many other crucial items it is slipping away. The dynamics of our society have changed dramatically from the structure of our family, to the involvement of government in our personal life. All of the components in the series explain the changes that need to be made in our country, but how do you educate the population. Education is the conduit to action, and without action, nothing changes. People have to want to learn, want to change, and want to make a …show more content…

One of the strong strongest human needs is that of love and belonging. (Maslow, 1943) However if you look at what is destroying our culture it is the misguided direction that people are seeking to meet their needs. If we were to strive for a good society, we would start the transformation. “A good society, for instance, fosters trust among its members not solely or even primarily to enhance their trust in the government or to reduce burdens on the general public (for example, the problem of litigiousness), but rather to foster what is considered a bettersociety.” (Putnam, 1995) Trust, community, integrity, compassion, morality, tolerance, and family build a culture, a culture that encourages development, is more economically sound. It provides better schools, lower crime, and a more effective government. All of the topics we discussed, all of the literature that we read, brings it all to the point that as a person we must take the responsibility to own our decisions, educate ourselves on the issues, and be active participants in our society, as we are all interwoven

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At the end of her chapter, “Body in Trouble”, Nancy Mairs notes that all too often individuals with physical disabilities are excluded from moral life. In her words, she says “people don’t generally expect much of a cripple’s character” and describes the difficulty of helping in normal charitable activities (such as serving at a soup kitchen). Mairs is realistic about her ability to contribute to certain charitable activities—she cannot chop vegetables or scrub dishes. If a life of service is a Christian calling, like the church affirms, how can we expand our idea of what “service” is so that all people can engage with it? What ways can those with disabilities provide care for non-disabled people, so that the direction does not strictly flow

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Soul of a Citizen has introduced us to many individuals who have taken upon themselves to make changes happen. Whether it was being involved in programs, introducing us to new programs, or learning from others’ inspiring actions, we can all use the inspiration within this book to encourage us to act responsibly as a citizen. These actions mimic the Franciscan values that are wrapped around many organizations and schools. One such individual highlighted in this book was Virginia Ramirez. Virginia, a Hispanic woman, who stayed at home with her children, never finished college.

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To build a better community for future generations, each citizen should show respect, be involved, and have ambition.

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Such as poverty caused low aspirations, crime was a reaction to poverty and poverty created unstable families. Throughout this paper there are various explanations for why cultural values aren’t the only thing preventing an ethnic group from success. Rather that beliefs, racism, associations established with some races, etc. created and idea that some groups were better to higher than others and that these ideas were so ingrained that they still effect how society acts today. By viewing much of one’s failure as their own problem and not taking into consideration that ethnic groups history and how they have been compared to other immigrants. In other words, in order to undo the idea that a culture-of-poverty exist we need to recognize the faulty assumptions we have put in place and begin removing them with facts for why certain groups did not exceed and begin putting into place programs that not only redesign morals but offer financial assistance until no longer

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As the Era of Conformity progressed and eventually died down, people began to realize the problem with the ideals pre-implemented in society. Although the overall social atmosphere has improved, there are still many works left to be done. As time moves on, new generations will replace the old as to dominating the society, the goal for everyone in this rising generation should be to create the equal, diverse, and accepting environment for the betterment of the

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Society is fooled into believing in the applied connection among people. Benedict Anderson’s idea of imagined communities emphasizes that, “… the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion” (5). Members of neighborhoods, cities, states, or countries feel a sense of unity with other members for living in the same place or maybe having the same basic values, but true unity comes from understanding the similarities among each other, considering the impact a person can have on another, and caring about lives. Recognizing the importance of lives being socially intertwined is necessary to sustain a considerate society.

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Prior to taking POLS 1101, I had already obtained much knowledge about America under British rule, and the struggle that led us to become the independent country we are today. What I did not know is our current government structure and the processes and systems of our government. I also learned more about the Electoral College, the United States Supreme Court, the Nuclear Deal, and Britain’s “question time.” I enjoyed participating in these discussions, because each post required research, exploration, and consideration before meaningful dialogue; it requires students to analyze textbooks, the media, and much more, leading to one gaining a well rounded knowledge on a subject. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to read what my peers had to say on the exact same question, comparing and contrasting our answers and opinions.

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Societies are built to be a safe, welcoming and an accepting environment, but sometimes end up to be harsh, cruel and irrational places. In John Wyndham’s novel, The Chrysalids, we are introduced to a world we can never imagine being, yet we live in a world that is actually not very different. David Strorm lives in post-apocalyptic world as a telepathic who is regarded as a mutant and goes on a tough journey with his cousin Rosalind to escape from their non-accepting community. The Waknuk society is indeed very similar to our world considering that today’s society also fears things they do not know about, do not always accept differences and has major issues with dealing with sexism. By comparing Waknuk to our world, the similarities

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As the Latino population of the United States continues to burgeon, so does its influence in all aspects of American society. The far-reaching influence of Latinos has exploded in the past few decades, with 17% of the U.S. population who identify as Latino controlling over $1.5 trillion USD in spending power. A section of society where Latino influence continues to rise is in the American political process and the formation of public policy. Latinos have managed to fill a vacant position in nearly every spot of government, culminating with a U.S. Latino holding a crucial stake in a fierce battle for the presidency. As Latinos continue to grow in size and influence, attention should be invested in promoting civic engagement and enhancing political representation of Latinos at all levels of government.

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Kind Witch? “Never judge a book by its cover”. Should young Katherine Tyler trust old Hannah Tupper. Katherine, or also known as Kit, was doing her job as a school teacher teaching kids when she had an amazing idea! Instead of just reading the children the bible stories, the pupils could act them out!

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The Civic Engagement Activity that I choose to participate in was volunteering at the Madera County Library. My Civic engagement took place in my community library and I volunteered there for four days, which were the 15th, 20th, 22th, and the 23rd. The Madera County library provides its community with numerous services that have many benefits to them. I believe that volunteer service for this organization is important because it is a service that can be utilized by the community members and it is beneficial to have. The County Library does not have many employees, which means that they do not have time to do certain things during the day, and that’s where the volunteers come in handy.

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754 Words | 4 Pages

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On the social side of this conundrum, lies the fact that some still value partisanship, social capital, and the benefits of voting. Even though they are all on the decline does not mean they are removed altogether. Similar to what the Civic Voluntarism Model proposes, if one has the time, money, ability, a preference, and efficacy to vote, then many continue to do

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Introduction The two most important components of societies are the social structure and culture. Culture deeply influences an individual 's beliefs, values, goals as well as his identity. Cultural goals are developed in accordance with the existing social structure of the society. The social structure of a society must provide the 'means ' for an individual to achieve his cultural goals.

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Growing up at a refugee camp in a very poor country is not what an average child has to go through. In Nepal we did not have much shelter to live by. We were given some bamboos, thatch and some rope to build up our home and once a month they would give us some rice. I grew up without electricity therefore television was very rare to me. I was born at the house made up of bamboo and thatch rather than a proper hospital with some form of professional care.

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