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2009 Suggested Topics

Thanks to all who attended dialogue group this week. Great start to our conversation on Technology in the Developing World, and fantastic brainstorming for the 2009 topics.

Please note that we have changed the date and time. Starting in January, we will meet from 7:30 - 9:30 pm on the last Tuesday of every month.

The last 10 minutes of each meeting will be dedicated to a teaser on the next month's topic. The upcoming topic's host will have the assignments selected and ready to present.

For January 27, we will continue the discussion on Technology in the Developing World, hosted by Tiffany Ivins.

The remaining 11 months will be determined by popular vote from the 20 suggestions below. Keep in mind that the topic descriptions are rough - just enough to give the general gist. The topic host will refine the focus once the topics are chosen. Please list your TOP TEN choices in the comments by Monday, January 5.



2009 SUGGESTED TOPICS

1) Comedy and Politics: How Spoofs Shape Public Opinion
  • Effect of SNL, late shows, The Onion, etc. on political choices (i.e. What would people think of Sarah Palin if not for Tina Fey, and would it have changed the way they voted?)

2) Texting, Email, Blogs, and the Fall of the English Language
  • do u thnk ppl care enuf 2 lrn propr english n duz it mttr?

3) The Utah State Budget: Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go?

4) The Future of Marriage: What will "the institution" of marriage look like in 20 years?
  • Causes and effects of rising divorce rates
  • Possible effects of gay marriage
5) Unintended Consequences of the Iraq War
  • Shifts in global perceptions of the U.S.
  • Economic impacts
6) Sexual Responsibility: How is Society Helped or Hindered by Personal Sexual Choices?
  • Effects on STDs, dating norms, abortion, birth control, etc.
  • Defining sexual responsibility: what does it mean?
  • How have attitudes toward sexuality changed over the last century and has that been for the better or worse?
7) Lessons From the Great Depression: What Should We Know Going Into Recession?
  • Listen to recordings and read stories from real people who lived it
  • Shifts in perspective due to poverty (spirituality, prejudice, pride)
8) Can Poetry Save Corporate America?
  • The poet, author, and lecturer David Whyte powerfully and charismatically argues that art (poetry in particular) can revive the soul that has been lost in modern-day work life. The assignments would include excerpts from his lectures and passages from his poetry.
9) Is Political Correctness Emasculating Men?
  • Can men still be men in a politically correct world, and if not, what is being lost?
  • Effects of current norms on chivalry, bravery, responsibility for family
10) State of Technology in Health Care
  • Proliferation of digital records (National Health Care Network)
  • Ethical Dilemmas (i.e. protecting privacy when medical records are more readily available)
  • National Health Care
11) How Do We Communicate with Our Loved Ones?
  • Five Love Languages
  • Differences in ability to communicate with friends versus spouses, parents, siblings, etc.
  • Effect of cultural background on communication
12) How to Enjoy Art
  • Field trip! Visit an art museum or other cultural event together, led by an informed guide
13) The Future of Education
  • New Ideas? What reforms are out there and how are they working?
  • Obama’s agenda – what is it? How is it playing out?
14) New Forms of Art: Beyond Music & Painting
  • Video games; graffiti; body art; Bodyworlds; technology: websites, advertising; personal expression, etc.
  • Evolution of art over time
  • Who benefits?
15) What determines attraction?
  • Evolutionary link to survival?
  • Influence of media on attraction?
  • Appearance, behaviors, self-perception
  • Gender differences
16) How Americans View Food
  • Health effects: obesity, eating disorders, etc.
  • Fast food: always eating on the go
  • Large portions, culture of abundance
  • How technology has affected the way we view food
17) The Odyssey Years: How Gen X is Experiencing Adulthood
  • Perceptions of accountability and responsibility
  • People getting multiple degrees because they don’t know what they want to do (grad school = snooze button on life)?
  • No culture of stable jobs or loyalty to a company
18) Exploring the Cultural Shifts in America following the 1950s
  • Were the 1950s really golden?
  • Moral changes
  • Educational changes
  • Community cohesiveness
  • Sexual revolution
19) Aging Boomers: Understanding the Economic Impacts of a Nation of Retirees
  • Medicare
  • Social security
  • What to do with 20 good years of retirement?
20) Is the World Better or Worse Off Because of International Aid?
  • Do wealthy nations have a moral obligation to help?
  • Motives?
  • Methods?
  • What are the risks and benefits of helping or not helping?

Comments

  1. Here are my top 10 choices:

    How to Enjoy Art
    The Future of Education
    Aging Boomers
    State of Technology in Health Care
    What Determines Attraction
    International Aid
    Utah State Budget
    How do we communicate with our loved ones
    Can poetry save corporate America
    Sexual Responsibility

    However, it seems like it might be a good idea to maybe save a month or two later in the year for topics that come up during the year that might be of interest that we just don't know about yet, like this year's discussion of the economy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There were some great topics listed, and I would have interest in a number of them. I believe, however, that I have listed my preferences in the following order of my interest:

    1) Is the World Better or Worse Off Because of International Aid?
    2) Texting, Email, Blogs, and the Fall of the English Language
    3) State of Technology in Health Care
    4) Aging Boomers: Understanding the Economic Impacts of a Nation of Retirees
    5) Comedy and Politics: How Spoofs Shape Public Opinion
    6) The Future of Education
    7) What determines attraction?
    8) How Americans View Food
    9) The Odyssey Years: How Gen X is Experiencing Adulthood
    10) The Utah State Budget: Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go?

    I also agree that interests might shift by mid year.

    ReplyDelete
  3. great topics! i've listed my favorites not in any particular order:

    Texting, Email, Blogs, and the Fall of the English Language

    The Future of Marriage: What will "the institution" of marriage look like in 20 years?

    Sexual Responsibility: How is Society Helped or Hindered by Personal Sexual Choices?

    Lessons From the Great Depression: What Should We Know Going Into Recession?

    Is Political Correctness Emasculating Men?

    How to Enjoy Art

    How Americans View Food

    The Odyssey Years: How Gen X is Experiencing Adulthood

    Exploring the Cultural Shifts in America following the 1950s

    Aging Boomers: Understanding the Economic Impacts of a Nation of Retirees

    ReplyDelete
  4. Here are my top ten;

    1: Comedy and Politics: How Spoofs Shape Public Opinion
    2:The Future of Marriage: What will "the institution" of marriage look like in 20 years?
    3:What determines attraction?
    4:How Americans View Food
    5:The Odyssey Years: How Gen X is Experiencing Adulthood
    6:Aging Boomers: Understanding the Economic Impacts of a Nation of Retirees
    7:Is the World Better or Worse Off Because of International Aid?
    8:The Utah State Budget: Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go?
    9: Sexual Responsibility: How is Society Helped or Hindered by Personal Sexual Choices?
    10:Texting, Email, Blogs, and the Fall of the English Language

    These are not in any order. I am excited for this coming year.

    MS

    ReplyDelete
  5. Matt C's Top 4

    1. Sexual Responsibility (yeah, I'm interested in sex)
    2. The Future of Marriage (see above, plus my interest in foreseeing how the gay marriage issue will play out)
    3. Texting, email, and blogging and its effects on communication
    4. Communication with loved ones (effects of socialization, etc.)

    THANKS FOR ORGANIZING THIS CARRI!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm really excited about these topics. These ones stood out to me:

    Comedy and Politics: How Spoofs Shape Public Opinion

    Texting, Email, Blogs, and the Fall of the English Language

    Lessons From the Great Depression: What Should We Know Going Into Recession?

    The Future of Marriage: What will "the institution" of marriage look like in 20 years?

    Can Poetry Save Corporate America?

    Is Political Correctness Emasculating Men?

    How Do We Communicate with Our Loved Ones?

    New Forms of Art: Beyond Music & Painting

    What determines attraction?

    How Americans View Food

    The Odyssey Years: How Gen X is Experiencing Adulthood


    I don't know if any of these can be tweaked, but I would like to explore the neglect of privacy when it comes to emails, blogs and social networking; how it affects our relationships with family, friends and our conversations with them. I don't know if that could be rolled into the texting/email/blogs one or if it is its own topic.

    Great work on the brainstorming everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm super lazy, but still an interested party!

    I'll just list the numbers next to my top ten choices:

    1. 3
    2. 5
    3. 6
    4. 7
    5. 10
    6. 12
    7. 13
    8. 16
    9. 11
    10. 20

    Mary W.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm just listing the number too because that's how I wrote them down. My choices in no particular order:

    2,4,7,9,12,13,15,1,3,18

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey, great topics. We hope to be around for some of them. Here is my vote for ten: 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,15,16

    The blog looks great too.

    Hello from Seattle, hope to see you all in the new year!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My top choices (in no particular order):
    3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 16, 20, 10, 19

    ReplyDelete
  11. My top 10 choices:
    1. 8
    2. 2
    3. 1
    4. 6
    5. 4
    6. 13
    7. 16
    8. 15
    9. 17
    10. 10

    ReplyDelete
  12. From Gretchen:

    here are my choices, in no particular order:
    2,4,6,11,12,16,20,18,14,10

    ReplyDelete
  13. Seraphine:

    - The Future of Marriage: What will "the institution" of marriage look like in 20 years?

    - Sexual Responsibility: How is Society Helped or Hindered by Personal Sexual Choices?

    - Can Poetry Save Corporate America?

    - How to Enjoy Art

    - The Future of Education

    - New Forms of Art: Beyond Music & Painting

    - What determines attraction?

    - Is the World Better or Worse Off Because of International Aid?

    ReplyDelete
  14. While I love to talk about anything and everything, hrs d 1s I rlly wunt to xplor:

    7) Lessons From the Great Depression: What Should We Know Going Into Recession?
    10) State of Technology in Health Care
    3) The Utah State Budget: Where Do Our Tax Dollars Go?
    11) How Do We Communicate with Our Loved Ones?
    12) How to Enjoy Art
    13) The Future of Education
    19) Aging Boomers: Understanding the Economic Impacts of a Nation of Retirees

    ReplyDelete
  15. these are what I am interested in:

    1,4,5,6,8,15,19,20

    ReplyDelete
  16. From Heidi Alder:
    2 5 7 8 9 13 15 17 18 20

    ReplyDelete
  17. Current tally:

    (12) Sexual responsibility
    (11) Future of marriage
    (10) Education
    (10) Food
    (10) What determines attraction
    (10) International aid
    (10) Texting, email, blogs, etc.
    (9) Aging Boomers
    (8) State Budget
    (8) Great Depression
    (8) Poetry
    (8) Comedy & politics
    (7) Tech in healthcare
    (7) Communication with loved ones
    (7) Enjoy Art
    (6) Odyssey Years
    (5) Consequences of Iraq
    (5) PC emasculating men
    (4) Post-1950s culture shifts
    (3) New art
    (1) Laura's suggestion in her post: exploring the lack of privacy in a world of blogs and facebook, and the effect on personal relationships

    ReplyDelete
  18. From Matt C.

    See Carri, I told you if you put the word "sex" in a title it would carry the day :) What kind of animals are we anyway? :) It'll be a fun discussion!

    ReplyDelete
  19. In preferred order:
    (1) Comedy and Politics
    (2) Texting and the Fall of English
    (3) Political Correctness Emasculates Men
    (4) International Aid
    (5) Cultural Shifts since the 50s
    (6) Lessons from the Great Depression
    (7) Aging Boomers (I had to -- I work with retirement plans!)
    (8) The future of marriage as an institution
    (9) How to Enjoy Art
    (10) Love talk

    ReplyDelete
  20. From Marcello:

    Lessons From the Great Depression: What Should We Know Going Into Recession?

    How Do We Communicate with Our Loved Ones?

    What determines attraction?

    Exploring the Cultural Shifts in America following the 1950s

    Aging Boomers: Understanding the Economic Impacts of a Nation of Retirees

    The Future of Marriage: What will "the institution" of marriage look like in 20 years?

    Unintended Consequences of the Iraq War

    Sexual Responsibility: How is Society Helped or Hindered by Personal Sexual Choices?

    ReplyDelete

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