Select one of the discussion prompts below and respond to it with an initial post by Day #4 of the unit week. Your initial post needs to thoroughly address all parts of the selected prompt and be supported by at least one scholarly source. Then, respond to at least two threads on two additional days to drive the weekly discussions. All posts must demonstrate critical thinking and effective written communication including proper spelling, grammar, professional language, and APA formatting of references and in-text citations. All posts must also be submitted no later than the last day of the unit week.

Discussion Prompts

Prompt #1

Select one of the cultural identities mentioned below:

• Age and generational identities
• Identities based on appearance and health
• Socioeconomic identities
• First-generation student identities

Then make a list of all the biases, generalizations, and stereotypes about your chosen group that you have perceived or witnessed. Be sure to include everything, regardless of how seemingly trivial. Which statements can be considered myths? Which frequently turns into interpersonal discrimination? Which might contribute to institutional or systemic oppression? What would be your advice to someone on the receiving end of this type of discrimination?

(USLO 7.1)

Prompt #2

Imagine what it might be like to be 10, 20, or 30 years older than you are now. What are your assumptions about growing older based on – facts, myths, or observations? How do you think lookism, sizeism, and healthism will affect some of your ideas about aging? How might systemic oppression or oppression at the institutional level affect you some day? Do you know any older person who defies certain stereotypes or pressures related to lookism, sizeism, and healthism?

(USLO 7.2)

Prompt #3

How do you think older and younger people might join together to combat the forces of ageism, lookism, sizeism, healthism, and classism? How might you be an ally to your older or younger classmates who may be struggling with obtaining their college degree due to their first-generation status? Do you think lending your support to your Galen peers will be difficult or easy? Consider what you might do at the interpersonal and institutional levels to combat these types of oppressions.

(USLO 7.3)

Prompt #4

Pick any two areas of sustainable development goals (SDGs) listed in this unit and discuss them thoroughly. Were you aware of the goals before this unit? Next, connect the global goals to the U.S. context and discuss how we are addressing them? Use facts and data from authoritative sources to support your arguments.

(USLO 7.4)

Prompt #5

Take any two areas of SDGs, seemingly unrelated to each other, and critically evaluate the intersectionality. For example, how do gender inequalities and climate action intersect? How do inequalities and inequities in the context of gender identities impact global climate change? And in what ways addressing climate change might diminish gender inequalities?

(USLO 7.4)

Prompt #6

Reflect on the essential nature of the global perspective to social justice issues. Why is it important to get a macro perspective on what might seem like a local issue? For example, how does helping the world achieve quality education for all impact our efforts to attain the same at the national level, or vice versa? Take any one of the SDGs you read in this unit to respond to this discussion prompt.

(USLO 7.5)

Prompt #7

“Our most serious shortcoming – and here I refer to the entire international community – is our inability to prevent crises. The United Nations was born from war. Today we must be here for peace.” – Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, UN. (January 2019).

Pick any one of the SDGs to support Mr. Guterres’s statement or argue against his perspective. Use data or authoritative sources as the basis of your response.

(USLO 7.5)

Prompt #8

There is a tremendous push for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at global, national, state, and community levels and in all areas of life and for all identities. Take any one of the SDGs included in this unit and discuss a couple of challenges leaders face in achieving optimum and sustaining results for equity and inclusion. Are the challenges individual or institutional? Examine the challenges at the international, national, state, and organizational levels.

(USLO 7.6)

Prompt #9

As we end the course, examine your growth on the diversity, equity, and inclusion topics discussed in the eleven units. How would you summarize your awareness of the issues? Are you curious to know more? Which topics inspired your interest, and why? Did any material disrupt your way of thinking? If yes, which content was new to you? Lastly, list three values that you think are essential for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies and explain why.