What's Your Opinion?

Learn more about public opinion polling by visiting the website, the National Council on Public Polls. Click the title above. What kinds of opinions do you find interesting on this site? How does Public Opinion shape how we live? Or does it? What impact do Public Opinion Polls have on society.

Google "understanding public opinions or types of opinions." What kinds of results do you come up wiht? How about blogs?

Everyone has a opinion nowadays, what's yours? Post your results including a website you find interesting in your research.

Desiree's Baby

Author Kate Chopin is considered to be a preeminent author of the late 19th century, early 20th century realism. Although her work was not wildly popular at the time, today Chopin's writings have an active following. A feminist at a time when feminism was not yet a social construct, Chopin's work is known for it's rich, colorful descriptions of the plight of women and Southern life, especially in Louisiana. "Desiree's Baby," is one of Chopin's most popular works.

Click the Title Above and read the short story.

Then answer the questions that follow:

What kinds of assumptions exist here? What pre-existing cultural conditions, ideologies, or beliefs were in place for this story to end so tragically? Why do you think this story remains so popular today?

Blink

Tonight's post is an open forum of sorts. After you read, Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, consider how this text validates what we've been learning in Chapter 3 "Facts, What's Real?"

This will require that you re-read some areas of Chapter 3, before answering the question. When you reference either text, please provide detailed, specific examples. Make sure, if you quote either text, to indicate the page number so that your colleagues may reference it if he or she has a question.