Imagine you are the CEO of a retail enterprise that has relied heavily on brick-and-mortar stores for your business presence. In the post COVID-19 world, you have been tasked with the job of transforming the business, which will include, but not limited to, creating a stronger e-commerce presence to deal with the demands of a changing business landscape. As such, you will be preparing materials which you will present to your board of directors on how the business will adapt and exploit opportunities in a post COVID-19 world. You are to make use of real-world datasets for the creation of the materials. Appendix 1 will provide a non-exhaustive list of some websites where you may find relevant datasets

1. List and briefly discuss a. the basic characteristics and b. main elements of scientific theories, based on the Instructor’s Introduction and one of, or both, K.D. Allan (Chapter 1: Imagining Society ) and Appelrouth & Edles (STCoE, Ch. 1 or the Electronic Alternative), (50 points)

2. Briefly compare and contrast the ‘scientific’ and ‘interpretist’ perspectives on the nature of society(social ‘ontology’) and how it/they (society or social phenomena) can be studied and theorized, based on the Instructor’s Introduction and K.D. Allan). (50 points)

3. Briefly compare and contrast the ‘critical’ and ‘descriptive’(or detached and non-evaluative) perspectives on social/sociological theory, based on the Instructor’s Introduction and K.D. Allan (50 points)

4. Define and briefly discuss the concepts of “status”, “role”, “role-set” and “status-set”, according to R.K. Merton (RKM.3, esp. pp. 110-118) (50 points)6

5. Summarize and briefly critically evaluate R.K. Merton’s middle-range theory of the “role-set” (RKM.3 esp. pp. 110-118). (150 points)

Select one of the categories of the aviation supply chain listed below for an in-depth analysis of its storage, handling, and packaging considerations as applied in modern practice at the airport flight line.

• In-flight meals for passenger flights.

• Replacement engine parts for depot-level servicing.

• Maintenance materials and parts for flight-line level service (wheels, electronics, pumps, gauges, fasteners, etc.).

For your selected category, describe the typical issues involved with storage and movement costs, locations, expiration dates, environmental conditions, inventory levels, and materials packaging. Provide a practical example of how the logistics system would be managed for the items involved.

For Module 2, you engaged with two arguments (Beyond Food w/the Hepworth review, Ludwig) that relate to the arguments from Module 1 and early in Module 2 (Kirshenbaum & Buhler, and Taubes) on diet, exercise and health and crossing various genres. The issues are curious since an individualistic self-sufficient culture like America’s should not have epidemics like obesity. All of these arguments are consistent with our common underlying assumptions of American cultural individualism, which implies personal responsibility. However, Beyond Food makes a bold claim that the new methods for health embrace collective well-being and individualized health. How reasonable is it to mesh the individual with the collective in our society?

Select one songyou like and that in your opinionhasanimportantmessage about life today — something that mattersin 2021. Writeat leastfour double-spaced pages(not including title information) about it. The song you select must have beencomposed anytimefrom 1945 up until now, have lyrics, and be accessible now to the public in an online performance. Properly citea source forthe lyrics and for the specific online performance you watched (otherwise you will receive 0 out of 120 points).See page two for citation details. Address all of the components in this handout. You may(but are not required to) include a very modest amount of information regarding what others have published about the song, only if you compare those ideas to yours and cite the source. Include a few very short passages from the lyrics.Do not write aboutthe song “American Pie” or any specific song we have covered in class up to the date that you start your paper.Writing mechanics will be factored into your grade.Use paragraphs and check grammar and spelling.

Paper Guidelines

What do you hear?

Vividly convey what you hear, indicating how the sound develops and progresses. Clearly identify any instruments/sound sources — be very specific. A screeching distorted electric guitar riff is different from the delicate pluck of a single, low acoustic guitarstring. Thoroughly describesounds;use adjectives/comparisons. Describe vocal qualities.Characterize all these elements in your own voice, using terminology thatyou are comfortable with. Identify the name of the song and the performer’s name.I will post some current online writings as examples… and inspiration!

What does it mean?

Interpretation is your persuasive argument regarding what the big idea of the song is, what the songsays about life,why ithas important implications for the world today – in 2021,and why you personally connect with it.Decide on one clear interpretation– the big idea that this song conveys – and provide a thorough rationale for it. Note the following.

• Consideryour descriptions of the music, your emotional response, current or recent events/issues that connect to it, lyrics, ambience,energy, tempo,and any ideas related to genre, if important.

• Thoroughly discuss and summarize thekey idea conveyed by the performer’s fictional bodyandhow thisinformsyourbig interpretive idea. Note that they can be one and the same. Include all relevant elements of the fictional body that the performers convey in the online performance. Consider how they dress, move, gesture, expressideas, and interact with the audience. Alsowrite about how this song engages with your body when you experience it. In what specific ways does it affect you — how do you interact bodily with it? Why? Explain.

• Include other performance factors (e.g., stage lighting) only if you find that they inform your big idea.

• Explain how the music and lyrics relate to one another, including a few very short passages from the lyrics.

• Thoroughly discusswhy you find the songimportant and personally meaningful andhow it connects with some aspects of your identity and worldview

• Explain specifically how it relates to the world today.

• Include a few examples of short passages from the lyrics in quotation marks to illustrate your ideas

• Write from your perspective; don’t assume that otherpeople view itin a way similar to yours.

How/when do you experience it?

Explain when, where, and how (using which technology) you listen to the song. Describe the scenario in which you typically experience it, including the situation, and the kind and effects of the technology that you often use to listen to it. For example, how does listening to the song on an MP3 player with ear buds in a public space affect your musical, emotional, bodily, and intellectual experience?

How did you express ideas in writing?

Carefully craft your writing well regarding grammar, organization, word choices, and spelling.Make it lively and engaging. If possible, ask a trusted reader give you feedback on your writing.

Paper Format and Style Guidelines and Requirements

• Must be turned in on time. Only under very extenuating documented circumstances will an exception be made.

• Submit your paper in one of the following formats: .doc, .docx, .pdf

• Save a digital copy of your paper until after final grades for the course are posted.

• Double–space, use 11 or 12-point type and margins no larger than 1,” and include page numbers.

• Choose a citation style and follow it consistently. If you want more information about citation styles, see, for example the following website: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/r….

• You must cite a source for the lyrics at the end of your paper even if you know the lyrics by heart. Sourcesmight includea website or the liner notes from an album.

• You must cite the online performance at the end of your paper.

• For some examples in APA, see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/a…

• Title your paper – something other than just the song title. Include a title information according to the citation style you prefer. For an example in APA, see https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/a…

• You can but are not required to include a full set of the lyrics in the resources at the end of your paper.

• All sources paraphrased or directly quoted must be properly cited.Failure to use proper citation and acceptable sources (i.e., not Wikipedia) will result in an automatic ‘0’.

For your second paper, you will revise, elaborate, and expand upon your first writing assignment (paying particular attention to the feedback you received on that assignment), integrating texts, concepts, and frameworks from the course.

This class has engaged two key definitions of nature: as inherent qualities/characteristics (i.e. human nature), and as space/place (i.e. wilderness)—and where those two definitions sometimes meet. Further, we have been exploring the co-constitutive relationship between nature and culture; that is, how nature and culture produce one another.

This assignment asks you to write a clear, critical essay in which you analyze an experience in/of “nature” that addresses either of the senses in which we’ve been using that word.

You may continue to expand directly on the “nature” experience you wrote about in your first paper, or you can write about a different one. If you are expanding your first paper, you can keep some of what you have already written, but it should be edited and revised. Don’t just tack more writing on to the end!

You will need to articulate an argument; an argument is a claim that is supported by evidence. Your argument should answer the question:

How and why are “nature” and “culture” being produced, and what is the relationship between the two concepts?

* Be sure to clearly delineate how “nature” is being culturally defined, and how your understanding of “nature” is represented.

Necessary to your analysis is a consideration of this question:

What ideologies are imbedded in the experience you’re analyzing? To what end/what are the stakes?

* support that argument using your own analysis — and research if you would like — as well as course texts (3)

Your assignment should be approximately 1200 words in length (about five double spaced typed pages).

Introduction:

                This project is designed to teach you how to think spatially in relationship to sports.   When studying any concept from the spatial perspective, one must answer two basic questions:  Where and Why?  Geographers often answer these questions using statistics and mapping the results.  Rooney use an index method base on the per-capital ratio number of players divided by the total population of a given geographic area called location quotient.  Bale suggests this method is as near as one can find at determining an objective regionalism in sports.  In this project, you will each choose a high school sport, collect participation and population data and construct a regional map using the location quotient method.

Step One:

                Using data from NFHS (pdf on D2L), gather data on the number of high school participation.  Use this data to calculate the Location Quotient for each state.  Use the following formula.  Everyone will complete an analysis of Boys Ice Hockey, Boys Lacrosse, and two sports of your choice from the approved sports list.

                                Number of Players per State                      Total Number of Players in the Nation

LQ =       ______________________           /        _______________________________

                Total Enrollment per state                           National Enrollment Total

Step Two:

                Upon completion of the Location Quotients, construct a choropleth map using 4-5 classes (quartiles/quintiles).  Use proper cartographic shading techniques.  The U.S. outline map is provided.  If you have computer mapping skills, you need to use them.

Step Three:

                Create line graphs showing the trends in male, female, and total participation numbers since 1971-72.

Step Four:

                Study the spatial distribution for your sports.  Do you see any regional patterns of high and low participation?  If so, where are they and why do you think they exist.  Also examine the changes in total participation rates for males, females, and overall.   Write a 3 page paper describing your findings.

Language and Thought (Links to an external site.)

Take a look at this first video and think about this question: How does language shape the way that you think? Notice, if you will, that there’s an internal dialog as you think about this question.

Now take a look at these two. This video (Links to an external site.)is very dry but it gets better the more your apply your knowledge of developmental psychology to it. And then ask yourself how that one relates to this one: The more scientific aspect of language. (Links to an external site.)

Altogether we’ve already seen from some of the earlier videos, as well as these, that the capacity for children to pick up on and learn language is amazing. Consider as well what the lecture reading and text say about language development?

Here are some things to ponder. What can parents and educators do to facilitate language development? You probably don’t remember learning to speak, but you might remember something from when you were learning to read? If so that would be cool to share. And what about being bilingual? Many of you indicated some degree of bilingualism. The lecture readings and text indicate a number of advantages. Do those of you who are bilingual feel it has afforded you some advantages? In which language do you do most of your thinking?

• Introduction. Look at the sample Letters of Recruitment on Canvas for ideas. An introduction is a place to set your tone (as in anyintroduction). You are welcoming the reader to the department, thechallenge of this important decision: choosing a major. Establishingyour inviting and gracious tone can be short, focused and charming.

• Start to introduce the curriculum. That’s how most students arrange this letter. Some will provide a BRIEF overview of courses, units required, etc., but they then begin to discuss the 2-3 specific courses, some specific work in these courses that will entice the reader, informthe reader of some of the more technical work, etc. Building your authority in this letter is paramount. The technical, discipline-specific parts of this letter will make or break this academic authority.

• Next is the faculty. Some of you might want to discuss the professors while you are talking about the course in the section above (see:curriculum). That makes sense. But often students discuss 2-3courses, in the previous section, and then 2-3 professors in a different section. You can mix this strategy. You might discuss one of the professors as you are explaining the curriculum. And then 2 other professors in this section we’re calling the faculty section of your paper.

• Department/major facilities might enhance your argument. Facilities might also be part of the discussion of curriculum. Explaining the kind of work spaces and/or tools or simulations students have access to can be quite interesting and illustrative of your major and professional discourse.

• Students often move to internships, clubs, or organizations that are affiliated with the major/department. Be specific if you can and hopefully this discussion can shed light on the discourse (what a speaker talked about at a club meeting, what an organization does in the community, etc.).

• Study abroad might be another section/discussion that can enhance your LoR. I talked about how the academic part of a study abroad trip would be quite interesting. Sharing how you traveled and partied in a foreign city doesn’t quite do enough for a letter like this (some clever writing might be able to do a bit of both: the academic and exciting cultural experience).

• You might talk briefly about job opportunities for people graduating with this major; students have cited Department of Labor statistics, or given some data on salaries, different professions, job titles, etc.

• That’s a wrap! Provide a nice brief farewell. See the samples for ideas, too.

Early Childhood VIDEOS

Here is the Chapter (Links to an external site.)

Here are three TED talks.

How do they support the chapter?

Do they suggest something that goes against the content of the book?

Why is it so important to be in school?

https://www.ted.com/talks/shameem_akhtar_to_learn_is_to_be_free (Links to an external site.)

https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_play_is_more_than_just_fun (Links to an external site.)

Now – check out this website from RSA (Links to an external site.) – do you think it lends to the benefit of school?