Social Studies Assignments Lesson 13

1.- Each of us is a member of several different social groups. We are part of a family, and
we have friends who form other social groups. Some of us are part of a club, sports team,
religious group, or other organizations. Sometimes the values of our various social groups
fit together easily, and other times they clash. Answer the following questions about social
groups.

a.- Write down three social groups that you are part of.

A= Fencing class, school (last school), and family.

b.- List one or two values of each group.

A= Fencing – Determination and love for fencing.

School – Seeking for education and respect/concentration.
Family – Respect and a helpful attitude.

c.- Describe how the values of each group are similar and dissimilar from each other. Give
concrete examples to explain your comments.

A= For both school and family, an important value is respect. Respect for the parents, and
respect for the teacher, as both want to help you and deserve be respected. But, for
example, you don’t need as much determination in your family as in a sport, like fencing.
Because in your home/family, you are relaxed and happy, but in fencing you need
determination to surpass your limits and move on.

d.- What rules govern the behavior of the members of each of these groups? How do
these rules relate to the values? Be specific!

A= Fencing – There are no written rules, but there are some implicit rules. Like respecting
the authority (the teacher), and do whatever he says, also respecting your partners is
important.
School – Respect your schoolmates and teachers. Finish your work at a reasonable time.
And, if you are going to do something, don’t do it if it will annoy others.
Family – Respect your parents and try to help at home. For example, set the table, clean
the dishes or clean the floor.

e.- What happens when someone violates the rules? Think about a recent experience
where this happened in one of the groups you are part of. Describe the consequences for
the rule-breaker. Do these consequences directly relate to the group’s rules or values?
A= Fencing – As I said, there are no rules, but I guess if someone disrespected the teacher,
he would get expelled from the team and returned home.
School – If a mayor disrespect was made, you’d get a detention or even an expulsion. If it
was a minor one, you’d get negative points in your score or an advice for your parents.
Family – If your family understands you can’t help at home, nothing will happen. But if
they don’t, they’d probably talk to you badly and prohibit you to do things.

f.- Finally, think about larger social groups, such as groups with different views related to
politics, religion, immigration, women’s rights, or using animals for scientific research (or
any other issue). Think of ways in which the values of those in the other side of the issue.
What are some of the potential problems that can arise from this clash of values? Give
specific examples in your explanation.

A= The issue I selected was the “holy cow” in country of India. I’ll compare how is this cow
seen in the India and the occident, there’s a notable culture clash between people in India
and us. While we have religious beliefs, in India Hinduism is professed. The cow is a holy
living being for the Indians, while for us, cows are just milk producers and a meat source.
But in India the cow is venerated as a food producer, symbol of life, and should never be
killed. However, they don’t perform rituals to worship the cows, nor they give cows
special treatment, nor they are a sacred element, but it’s forbidden to eat them. In India
they only want the cows to live.
It’s in this moment where we can see the occidental treatment the cows receive from us,
and we can also see the value shock between both cultures.

2.- Choose one of the following topics and write a three-paragraph essay. Organize your
thoughts into a logical sequence and use paragraphs and a topic sentence to introduce
your main ideas. Include specific details to support your ideas.

c.- Explain the importance of at least three public services or institutions the government
provides and maintains for the welfare of its citizens.

A= (Next Page)
Services and Institutions our Government provides

We always take for granted our services, such as medical care, police, and public schools.
Now, I’m going to explain in detail 3 of the services and institutions the government gives
us.

1.- COPRED - Consejo para Prevenir y Eliminar la Discriminación de la Ciudad de México

(Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination in Mexico City)

Link: http://data.copred.cdmx.gob.mx/acerca-de-copred/quienes-somos/

Objective: To boost, promote, manage, and guarantee the elimination of obstacles that
limit people to exert their human rights to equality and non-discrimination, and
prevent its full development, as well as its effective participation in civil, political,
economic, cultural, and social. They will also promote a culture of awareness, respect,
and non-violence against the people, groups, and communities in situation of
discrimination.

In my opinion, the “Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination in Mexico City” was
created to help eliminating discrimination because of gender, race or culture, helping
people, groups, or communities that suffer any violation to their human rights, such as
labor violence, when someone won’t hire someone due to their gender, color or race.

2.- Dirección de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico de la Secretaría de Ciencia,

Tecnología e Innovación (Directorate of Scientific and Technological Development of the
Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation Secretary).

Scientific and Technological Development Direction of the Science, Technology and

Innovation Secretary

Link: https://www.seciti.cdmx.gob.mx/

Objective: Our main objective is to improve the quality of life of the population of
Mexico City through the support of projects and activities that promote the
technological, scientific and innovative development of the city, through the link with
the academy, the government, the productive sectors and civil society.

In my opinion, this institution supports the development of science, technology and

innovation projects; also supports the important people of the scientific community;
and this public institution also carries out activities for the participation of children and
young people so that they can be trained in scientific matters.
3.- Secretaría de Movilidad (Mobility Secretary),
Link: http://smovilidad.edomex.gob.mx/funciones
Objectives: To promote mechanisms to ensure at all times that everyone is exerting
their right to mobility and are obliged to respect and preserve the conditions of the
infrastructure for mobility, as well as to avoid damaging it or putting other people at
risk, that complies with the provisions contained in the law of the subject and other
applicable legal provisions.

Objetivos: Fomentar mecanismos para garantizar en todo momento, que todas las
personas en ejercicio del derecho a la movilidad se obliguen a respetar y preservar las
condiciones de la infraestructura para la movilidad, así como evitar perjudicarla o
poner en riesgo a las demás personas, y a que cumpla las disposiciones contenidas en
la ley de la materia y demás disposiciones jurídicas aplicables.

In my opinion, this institution is made to help people move their things and themselves.
It helps the public transport work well, and the prices are reasonable. They also control
the routes, schedules, frequencies, stops, and terminals of public transportation.

3.- Look for a recent news article that describes a situation in which there has been a clash
of values between two or more groups.

Link: https://mundo.sputniknews.com/america-latina/201812101084034214-habra-
nuevas-medidas-de-sueldos-elevados-en-mexico/

This is an issue that just has been addressed, it’s not resolved yet, but one solution was
proposed (not in the article). I asked about this issue to my mother, as she is a lawyer, and
knows well about this issue.

a.- Summarize the article. What happened? How was it resolved?

A= In México, on December 2018, a new government started. They understood that the
supreme court minister got paid too much (31,500 USD per month), what it’s totally
unacceptable for the new government as the new president lowered his own payment to
5,600 USD per month (40% less than the last president), and he wants none of the
government’s officials or employees to get paid more than him.

Then, it was proposed that all new employees are governed by this rule and those who
were hired before December 2018 are maintained with the same salaries, since the
constitution prevents wages from being reduced.
b.- What was the writer’s purpose? Was the writer trying to inform readers or influence
them? Can you tell, based on the writing, what the writer intends the audience to feel,
think, or believe after reading the article?

A= The author explains with high detail and objectively what the new president pretends
to achieve, and the readers draw their own conclusions.

c.- Has the writer presented a balanced report, giving information about the claims,
reasoning, and evidence of both sides? Provide examples.

A= The writer based on the statements of the president of Mexico and the events that
take place. An example of this are all the quotes included in the report in quotation marks
of the statements by the current president.

d.- Next, analyze the writing itself. Has language been used that might generate prejudice
against one side? Has the writer maintained an objective reporting style and avoided
emotional language intended to make readers feel a certain way? Give specific examples
of word choices and phrasing that reveal bias or promote objectivity.

A= The author only talked about one of the sides, the president. But he doesn’t give any
personal opinions at all.

4.- Choose one of the following assignments:

b.- Imagine living in a community that had no rules at all. What do you think might happen
if people could do whatever they wanted, without regard for anyone else’s feelings,
beliefs, or needs? Write a short creative story about life in a community with no one in
charge and no agreed-upon standards of behavior.

A= Once upon a time, there was a community without rules or anyone to control them.
Everything was an authentic chaos, there were no supermarkets because people stole
whenever they wanted and there was no one that would punish their actions or put them
on jail. Juan felt there was no justice, no one cared about him or others, that the people
that lived in that society did whatever they want, without caring about others’ feelings.
Juan was totally unhappy, going to school lacked sense, teachers didn’t even present
come, the rules had made no sense at all, as no one followed them. Every morning Juan
woke up and knew that his day would be unpredictable, because everything around him
was a mess. He knew that this chaos will bring him to a deep abyss of uncertainty, and the
only thing he could do is to wait for a miracle to happen.