Assignment for week four

 

 

This week we begin a new segment of the course, viz., an examination of the ethical and public policy issues surrounding environmentally induced illnesses. Environmentally induced illnesses present us with ethical and policy challenges unlike those presented by infectious, or degenerative, or any other kinds diseases. And I hope you’ll begin to see how significant these issues are.

The book you’ll be reading this week and next is literally the only book out there (so far) that looks at these illnesses from the point of view of public health ethics, so it’s the one we’re stuck with (magnificently and superbly well written as it is...).

I definitely apologize for the price of this book, though. If I’d had anything to say about it the book would have been produced as a $4.95 mass market paperback, and the author would have earned about four cents from each copy. But publishers, unfortunately, make all those decisions. In any case, the amount of the cover price that ends up going to the author on scholarly books like this is truly miniscule, so that would not be any incentive for authors to ask people to buy or read their books. StilI I do feel bad that people have to pay this much for it. But it is literally the only book out there that examines environmentally induced illnesses from a specifically ethical point of view. So if we’re going to study that – and I think it’s an important thing to study – this is the book we’re stuck with.

You'll unfortunately have just one week to read and discuss it.

Reading and writing assignments:

Your reading assignment: Environmentally Induced Illness: Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights.

The writing assignment is to pick two ideas or facts or claims from the Preface, Introduction or chapter 1. Then for each of those two ideas,

a. quote a passage that expresses that idea or fact or claim;
b. explain in your own words what you understand the author to be saying in that passage you’ve quoted; and
c. write a couple of sentences saying what you think about that idea and the passage you’ve quoted.

So that means you’ll be posting two separate messages to the classroom (from the Preface, Intro or chapter 1), each of which will have those three separately labeled elements, a, b, and c.

Then you'll do the same for chapter 2: pick two ideas or facts or claims that stood out for you, and post a message about each one. Each message will include those three clearly labeled parts, a, b, and c.

You'll also do the same for chapter 3: pick two ideas or facts or claims that stood out for you, and post a message about each one. Each message will include those three clearly labeled parts, a, b, and c.

Finally you'll do the same for chapter 4: pick two ideas or facts or claims that stood out for you from chapter 4 or the Conclusion, and post a message about each one. Each message will include those three clearly labeled parts, a, b, and c.

In addition to these formally assigned postings, of course, there should also be the more informal postings about any other ideas or questions or arguments that strike you.

These messages and discussions will all be posted into the Class Discussion folder.

It is not necessary that you complete the entire reading assignment before posting your first message. Discussions should probably be ongoing during the time you are reading the book. In any case, you should start posting discussion messages, whether as part of this formal assignment or just as informal reactions to what you are reading, by Friday (Saturday at the latest).

The video:

Please watch the streaming video documentary titled "A Killer Bargain." After viewing it you'll respond to Discussion Questions about the video and post your responses into the "A Killer Bargain" forum by Sunday or Monday at the latest. Your discussion of the video DQs and of the EII book can take place simultaneously in the Class Discussions forum.

The URL needed for viewing "A Killer Bargain"will be made available in the classroom.

Midterm Self Evaluations:

Your first Midterm SE is due this week. It can be turned in anytime between this Thursday morning and next Tuesday evening.

Research project approval

Your research project topic should have been approved by Tuesday of last week, so if you have still not gotten a topic approved, you'll want to do so ASAP to avoid further unpleasant consequences for lateness.

 

This will be a busy week -- the book, the video, the DQs for each, getting your research project approved and getting your Midterm SE completed.
Good luck with all of it.