Question 1.1. TCO 5. The Beijing Olympic Games were all over the news in 2008, well before opening day on August 8th. World leaders, human rights groups, and sports celebrities condemned China’s policies in Tibet. As the Olympic torch began its world tour, Beijing faced a fresh wave of international criticism over human rights issues, because of China’s latest crackdown on Tibet. Talk of boycotting the 29th Olympiad was widely heard within the international community.
Among the countries criticizing China were two nations that had and continue to have questionable records on human rights issues internally, and have been widely criticized for their international human rights policy failures, Canada and the United States. Even so, just before the opening ceremonies, George Bush promoted the virtues of American-style democracy and scolded China for its repression, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper encouraged China to change its ways towards dissidence.
Apply the course concepts of ethnocentrism and moral hypocrisy to the criticisms of China made by these international leaders. What do you conclude about their behaviors? Hint: Explicitly use each course concept by name and also give a one sentence definition of it before explaining how it applies to this case.
(Points : 41) |
Question 2.2. TCO 6. The Beltway sniper attacks in the Washington D.C. area, in 2002, completely transfixed American consciousness for the three weeks in October, when a pair of armed killers roamed through the Capital region, ambushing and killing 10 people, and wounding three others. As time progressed and law enforcement officials were having little luck in solving the case, tensions and apprehensiveness spread far beyond the area where the killings were concentrated. Even though there was never any hard evidence that the killers were headed in their direction, the citizens of towns and cities a hundred miles away were terrorized by the notion that the killers were about to show up in their communities.
Discuss this with respect to the effects of suggestibility that Myers writes about in Chapter 6. Be specific as to what aspects of suggestibility apply to the case.
(Points : 41) |
Question 3.3. TCO’s 4 and 12. At the 1994 Winter Olympics, American figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan became embroiled in bitter conflict. Harding, envious of the attention the media paid to Kerrigan, arranged for an attack on her at the Olympic trials. Harding’s husband and a confederate, accosted Kerrigan with a pipe, and struck her hard on the knee, causing significant injury. When the facts of the matter became public, Harding was banned for life from participating in competition figure skating.
This is a two part question:
a. What is it about the fundamental nature and structure of the Olympics that helps explain why the conflict arose and escalated?
b. Was the form of aggression displayed by the attackers hostile aggression or instrumental aggression? Explain your reasoning. (Note: you must make a decision between these alternatives and defend your decision.)
(Points : 41) |
Question 4.4. TCO 9. One rarely sees a homely person in a romantic leading role on television, or in the movies, or as an anchor person on a major television news or talk program. Everyone is at least pleasant looking, and many are especially beautiful or handsome. Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Kelly Ripa, Julia Roberts, and Matt Damon are examples.
Name two (2) factors of interpersonal attraction mentioned in the textbook that would explain why audiences prefer celebrities with pleasing looks.
(Points : 26) |
Question 5.5. TCO 6. Why do common external threats and shared goals lead to greater cooperation between two conflicting groups?(Points : 26) |
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