M7.1: Group Case Study: Debate a Press Release – Economic
Introduction
Remember that the global pandemic caused a true moral dilemma, which means that in their recommendations, the Module 6 groups could not avoid doing harm while doing good. In this activity, youll serve as peer support groups to rigorously challenge the press releases from the last module and test the reasoning behind them. In Meyers terms, you will be each other’s good editors. Were the Module 6 groups biased? Were they fair?
Your instructor has broken you out into new groups now, and has told you which press release youll be critiquing. Remember youll be critiquing a press release that you didnt write. Your instructor will upload the assigned press release to your group area.
Initial Post
In your initial post on Thursday, act as each others good editors. Be zealously and constructively critical. Do that groups recommendations minimize the harm while maximizing the good? Do they compromise fundamental principles? If so, how? Was it necessary? In other words, what factors guided the groups decisions? Were they biased? Were they fair?
When contemplating justice and bias, think about who the recommendations favor. Are all the factors objectively relevant, or are there some arbitrary factors involved? Factors you might consider include urban and rural populations, social and economic status, questions of age, race, and ethnicity, and questions of health and pre-existing conditions. Ask each other how their groups weighed these various factors. Who seemed to take the highest priority, and why?
Recalling that we are all limited somewhat by our perspectives, assume that the press release designed by your peers were influenced by some amount of covert bias. Therefore, challenge yourself and each other to really critiqued the assigned press release.
Response Posts
In your replies from Friday to Sunday, try to bring your peers in your group around to your way of seeing things. Trade facts. Argue for different priorities and different decisions. There is no shame here. This is a dress rehearsal for your career, when you will routinely turn to others for advice in your desire to be fair and just.
