Leave your votes in the comments.
(... and feel free to flesh out any of these ideas, or to volunteer to lead a discussion!)
1) What is money?
Based on an episode of This American Life called "The Invention of Money." This could cover understanding some basic economic concepts as well as philosophical approaches to what money means/does to people, how it should be handled, and how we as individuals and societies relate to money. Current data show that the millennial generation may be developing habits of thrift reminiscent of those found among the Depression-era cohort -- what does this mean?
2) What is happening to men?
From the cover of the Atlantic to the recent Muppets movie, Americans everywhere seem to be soul-searching about "failure to launch." Women now outnumber men on college campuses, and some studies show that women in the youngest generation are out-earning the men their age. Three-quarters of the jobs lost during the recession were lost by men, in sectors like manufacturing and construction that are less likely to bounce back. One result is an increasingly lopsided marriage market; another is a national fixation on prolonged adolescence. Has the feminist movement had unintended consequences for men, or are there other factors causing this demographic dilemma?
3) Is Politics the New Religion?
This question comes from one of the findings of the recent book American Grace:How Religion Divides and Unites Us, which says that Americans are now more likely to change their religion to fit their politics than they are to change their politics to fit their religion. I think the discussion could be done in a way that would steer clear of partisan debate of granular policy issues and focus on the social/psychological phenomenon and what it might indicate about the current and future state of religion, politics, and democracy (and perhaps epistemology too) in America.
4) Is Google making us dumber? or smarter?
A perennial question as we continue to sort through implications of the digital revolution. There is evidence that our neural pathways are changing to adapt to the sheer volume of available information. On the one hand, this can hamper our ability to recall information, and the multitasking encouraged by the internet makes it harder to focus for long periods of time. On the other hand, experienced internet users may have more advanced decision-making skills and complex reasoning. What are the pros and cons of the deluge of information facing us daily? How do people handle it all, filter what is useful? What about internet/media addictions? What are the issues at stake in the ways search engines personalize searches, including privacy and polarization in our political discourse?
5) The Arab Spring
What is happening in the Middle East? What cultural and political factors are at play? This might be a great topic for a guest speaker who can give insight beyond the headlines and really pinpoint the relevant issues.
6) The artistic process.
What is creativity? Is it a gift or can it be learned? How does the creative process work? Where do ideas come from, and how are they developed?
7) The election process in the U.S.
Are there any elements of our presidential election process that need "fixing"? Should the same states get to lead off the voting every cycle? How should the "lead off" states be chosen? Should there be such a thing as "winner take all" states, or should all states award delegates proportional to the number of votes a candidate receives (as is the case in the early voting states this year)? What are the pros/cons of a long election cycle? Could the US benefit from having a shorter cycle (like England, for example)? Finally, to run for president successfully costs millions of dollars. What are the pros/cons of essentially requiring candidates to have that much money?
8) The 2012 candidates and their philosophies
What does each believe? Who would best serve our country? (We could focus this more as the election approached – perhaps and October discussion)
9) Human Trafficking
Aka slavery - it is alive and thriving in our country and elsewhere. What can we do to help stem the tide?
10) Earth Stewardship
What are we doing, and what more can we do, to better care for this great gift of earth? How can we better articulate and persuade those who don't see the value in doing so without putting them off? How have the choices we make in this area affected us and will effect us materially, socially, emotionally, and physically?
11) Forgiveness and its relationship to non-linear time
12) Parenting
How to foster core competences that lead to successful adulthood
13) Emerging Adults Finding Authority
Is it avoided or denied? (Could this be combined with #2?)
14) Speaking Truth to Power
Examples and the implications for everyday life
15) A Culture of Isolation
Why are we in silos?
16) Quantifying Happiness
I've been reading lots of studies and hearing about people going to grad school to 'quantify happiness.' The HBR did a recent article, "The Science Behind the Smile," and other similar pieces discuss the science behind happiness. I have a friend who might be able to lead this discussion.
