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Would you consider scientology a mainstream religion or a cult?

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Assignment #6: M4 Your Religious Faith – Submit Files
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Submission Folder Assignment #6: M4 Your Religious FaithInstructions
Now is the opportunity to think about yourself.  Are you a theist, a deist, a pantheist, an atheist, or an agnostic?  What are the advantages and problems with your particular point of view?  There are no right or wrong answers to this question; just the opportunity to think.
Your answer should be between 150 and 300 words. Assignment must be typed in MS Word, where you can check grammar and spelling. After completing your assignment in Word, save the document, then click on “Add a File” button to attach the file and submit your assignment. Keep in mind that only one file is allowed per submission, and only one submission is allowed.
 
Assignment #7: M4 Is Scientology a Cult? – Submit Files
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Submission Folder Assignment #7: M4 Is Scientology a Cult?Instructions
Scientology is one of the most controversial new religions today. (To learn a little about Scientology, look at the Wikipedia article Scientology .) Think about the definition of a cult.  Would you consider scientology a mainstream religion or a cult?
Your answer should be between 150 and 300 words. Assignment must be typed in MS Word, where you can check grammar and spelling. After completing your assignment in Word, save the document, then click on “Add a File” button to attach the file and submit your assignment. Keep in mind that only one file is allowed per submission, and only one submission is allowed.

Describe a religious life cycle event that you attended – baby naming, bar or bat mitzvah, Christening, wedding, or a funeral.

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Assignment #4: M2 The Brothers Karamazov – Submit Files
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Submission Folder Assignment #4: M2 The Brothers KaramazovInstructions
In his great novel The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky famously said, “Without God, everything is permissible.”  The line comes up in the context of whether it is permissible for one of the brothers to kill their father, an evil man.  Do you agree with Dostoyevsky or not, and why or why not.
Your answer should be between 150 and 300 words. Assignment must be typed in MS Word, where you can check grammar and spelling. After completing your assignment in Word, save the document, then click on “Add a File” button to attach the file and submit your assignment. Keep in mind that only one file is allowed per submission, and only one submission is allowed.
 
Assignment #5: M3 Religion and the Life Cycle – Submit Files
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Submission Folder Assignment #5: M3 Religion and the Life CycleInstructions
Describe a religious life cycle event that you attended – baby naming, bar or bat mitzvah, Christening, wedding, or a funeral.  Describe the religious symbols or the religious meaning of the event.
Your answer should be between 150 and 300 words. Assignment must be typed in MS Word, where you can check grammar and spelling. After completing your assignment in Word, save the document, then click on “Add a File” button to attach the file and submit your assignment. Keep in mind that only one file is allowed per submission, and only one submission is allowed.

 PSY5002 & PSY5005 Research Guide

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Unit4Disc2

EVALUATING RESEARCH This Discussion should consist of roughly 300 words
As mentioned in the unit introduction, at the core of psychology in practice is the use of techniques, strategies, and best practices based on the highest-quality research available (APA, 2014). It is not enough to locate research related to your topic. The research must be relevant to your particular problem or situation and present valid findings that you may apply in the field.
For this discussion, respond to the following questions:

  • What 3 peer-reviewed articles did you find related to your research question? Give a short summary and provide the APA citation for each article.
  • How did you determine whether an article was relevant to your research question?
  • What strategies did you use to ensure the articles you located were worthy of use in psychology practice?
  • What criteria did you use to evaluate the authority, credibility, and scholarliness of the articles within the field of psychology?

If you did not consider these questions as you completed your research, go back and evaluate the articles you located. Use the tools listed in the resources for assistance. If you had any trouble evaluating research, use this discussion to receive support from your peers and instructor to work through your challenges.
ASSIGNMENT – PREPARATION
Choosing a research topic is not a trivial matter. While a great many topics in psychology may be of interest, when you put forth the time and effort to research and write on a topic, it is best to focus on one that will help you learn more about your specialization area.
In this study, you will further explore your interests and passions in psychology by reflecting on how you would use research as a practitioner, then:

  • Select an important topic relevant to your area of specialization in psychology.
  • Formulate a more specific research question.

This activity will lay the groundwork for the unit discussions and the remaining assignments in this course.
Complete the following:

  • Skim through the Select Topics page of the PSY5002 & PSY5005 Research Guide. Scroll down to the Suggested Specialization Topics section for topic ideas and select the ones that are most interesting to you and relevant to your specialization.
  • Review the Topics section in the APA Web site for supplementary ideas for topics relevant to your psychology vision and goals.
  • Review the Improve Your Topic page for additional explanation and resources to help you clarify the task of topic selection and locate articles.
  • Consider the following questions to explore further ideas if you have not found any inspiring topics in these resources:
    • Can you remember an experience in your personal or professional life that you did not understand or would like to explore further?
    • Have you read anything in a discussion post, your courseroom, a textbook, or a course reading that you wanted to learn more about?
    • Have you observed anything unusual or intriguing recently (on television, online, in the newspaper, or in your job) that piqued your curiosity?
  • Rank the ideas you came up with and select the most important topic to pursue during the course. Keep your list of unused topics for future courses. You will have many opportunities for research throughout your program.

Now that you have chosen a topic, your next step is to formulate a single clear, concise, and specific research question related to the topic. The question should not be so narrow that it is difficult to research, but if it is too broad or multifaceted your research task may seem endless.
Use the four Ws—who, what, where, and why—to think about how to define and narrow your area of inquiry:

  • Who: Define the population you are concerned with in terms such as age, ethnic background, special characteristics, or other factors.
  • What: Focus on a particular issue (such as violence, family issues, or poverty) the population facing.
  • Where: Determine a specific type of setting where the issue would be observed, or where an intervention would impact the target population. Private practice, clinic, school, or others?
  • Why: What could be possible benefits of this research?

As an example, if your topic is adolescent depression, your research question might be: “What biological factors are associated with adolescent depression?” Try to state your research question in a single sentence that you will answer in your research and writing.
After you formulate the research question, list the reasons why this question is important.

Oratorical Leaders and the Magic of Stereotypes

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Homework assignment

Oratorical Leaders and the Magic of Stereotypes
No one gets through life alone. To some extent, we are all products of our environments. We learn from our families, schools, and cultures. Every person has to face severe challenges and conquer obstacles. How we face our challenges depends on how we are shaped by others and our strength of character.
Certain individuals in our society have played powerful roles in the evolution of prevailing norms. While we learn our culture from agents of socialization, great leaders with lofty visions lead people and nations in the direction of emancipation, economic prosperity, and political freedom. Each of the following speeches tells the story of a struggle and its leader. Each speech echoes the aspirations of thousands of people as well as their desire to change their social situations.
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate the power of stereotypes as a shorthand communication tool. With great economy of words, each speaker uses stereotypes to frame the audience into an in-group of which he or she is the leader and the out-group on the opposing side.
Part 1: Read transcripts of famous speeches 
Access the following speeches located in the AUO Library:

  • King, M. (2004). ‘I have a dream’. New African, (435), 67-67.http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/230228033
  • Cullis-Suzuki, S. (1994). An appeal for future generations. Earth Island Journal, 9(3), 14-14.http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/docview/213829553

Part 2: Research other famous speeches
Explore various resources to research other famous speeches related to stereotyping and prejudice. Some suggestions are below. You may be able to find these speeches in video, audio, or text format. Try using a variety of search methods including visiting your local library, using Netflix or your local video store, or searching on YouTube. (You might also try locating the videos for the two famous speeches listed in Part 1 of this assignment.)

  • Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary
  • Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolence speech from the film Gandhi
  • Gandhi’s definition on Satyagraha

Part 3: Write a Paper
For this assignment, select one of the above speakers/speech and prepare a 1200- to 1500-word paper that answers the following questions:

  • Why did you select this particular speaker? Explain in around 300 words.
  • Which is the in-group, and what are the unifying values or the ascribed status that provides its solidarity? Explain in around 300 words.
  • What stereotype—prejudice, subordination, or discrimination—is the in-group challenging? Provide specific examples and explain in around 300 words.
  • In your view, did members of the in-group conspire to subordinate the out-group, or was the in-group merely operating within the social structure of its time? Explain in around 300 words.
  • How have your attitudes toward prejudice, subordination, or discrimination been influenced by the agents of socialization, such as family, peer groups, schools, and the media? Explain in around 300 words.

Provide a minimum of 3 references and apply the correct APA standards in the formatting of text, citations, and references.