WNYC Podcast: There Goes the Neighborhood

Intro:

Brooklyn has been going through significant change in recent years. It has become one of the most desirable places to live in the country. This is reflected in the increasing prices in the housing and rental markets. When the process of gentrification occurs in such a large scale, such as is happening in Brooklyn today, there are always winners and losers. Because of this the issue of gentrification is complex.

The essential questions that you will attempt to answer in this unit are,

Who are the stakeholders in this issue?

What makes this issue so complex?

Knowing this, what can be done?

Essential Vocabulary:

Stakeholder: Someone who has something to gain and/or lose

For the issue of gentrification in Brooklyn stakeholders may be the following:

Long-time resident, newcomer to a neighborhood, developers, Mayor de Blasio, real estate agents, low income residents, middle income residents, upper income residents, minority residents, etc.

Task While listening to the Podcast:

Take notes on the different Stakeholders you meet as you listen to the podcast,

Who are they?

Where are they from?

What do they have to gain?

What do they have to lose?

How important is what they want/need to the wants/needs of the greater good of NYC?

Where to find the podcast (you must listen to a total of 5 and episode 1 & 9 are mandatory):

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/neighborhood/

Students will be assessed in two ways:

1. An informal structured seminar that answers these questions.
2. A small presentation for someone else on these issues.  Presentations may take the form of any of the following:

• rap/poem
• PowerPoint presentation
• Speech
• Work of art
• Other (talk to Salak)

Healthcare Research Links

General Information/Details about Obamacare:

http://www.yourhealthcaresimplified.org/news/the-pros-and-cons-of-obamacare/

http://obamacarefacts.com/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2013/09/27/a-guide-to-obamacare-claims-pro-and-con/

The following website has numerous links to all types of arguments and discussions on all sides of the debate surrounding Obamacare:

Hooray for Obamacare
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/opinion/paul-krugman-hooray-for-the-aca.html

Premiums set to increase on ‘Affordable’ Care Act

http://journaltimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/journal-times-editorial-premiums-set-to-increase-on-affordable-care/article_1932cf17-42eb-509f-8221-c14d752089a3.html

http://healthcarereform.procon.org/

The below links are specific sections of the healthcarereform.procon.org website I thought would be helpful:

 Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Good for America?

Is Obamacare Socialism? (debated)

http://healthcarereform.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=001856

Healthcare not profit

http://www.ruthoron.net/Health-Care-RO-MS-MW.html

Pro Universal coverage

http://univsalhealthins.blogspot.com/

Anti-Socialized Med

http://townhall.com/columnists/walterewilliams/2004/07/21/free_health_care

https://americanvision.org/6618/a-canadian-perspective-of-socialized-medicine/

Anti Obamacare

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2014/02/03/obamacare-is-awful-but-single-payer-health-care-is-worse/

The state of Vermont (Bernie's state) attempted to set up a single-payer healthcare system but the law was never passed, see why. Read the link below:

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/01/vermont-single-payer/

French Healthcare System
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/dispatches_from_the_welfare_state/2014/01/french_socialized_medicine_vs_u_s_health_care_having_a_baby_in_paris_is.html

Case Study Research Links & Task

There often is a gap between theory and practice. The ideas of communism and socialism are contentious. To many both economic systems in theory sound appealing. However, few of us have lived in Cuba, China or the Soviet Union, countries that attempted to put into practice socialist and communist ideas. Through your research you will be attempting to assess how well the theories of socialism and communism have held up in practice.

Your task will be to study one of these countries as a case study. Through your research you will try to answer the following questions:

What changes were made? Structures put in place? Consider the following categories: Government, Education, Healthcare, civil rights

How did life get better for people and how did life get worse for people?

Who benefited the most? the least?

Research Links:

Explanations of Socialism/communism/capitalism form different perspectives

Differences between economic systems

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/24/a-high-school-teacher-helps-clarify-socialism-for-donald-trump-and-you/

Socialist Movement Defines Socialism

http://www.worldsocialism.org/english/what-socialism

Bernie’s Brand of Socialism

http://www.dsausa.org/what_is_democratic_socialism

Socialism a bad idea

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/431071/socialism-v-free-market-capitalism

Definition of Socialism

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/socialism.asp

Cuba

PBS

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america-july-dec01-life-in-cuba_07-02/

UK The Week Pros and Cons for Cuba

http://www.theweek.co.uk/americas/35627/pros-and-cons-communism-cuba

What is Socialism, Cuba, China & North Korea

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/081514/socialist-economies-how-china-cuba-and-north-korea-work.asp

Socialist Perspective - Long series of Articles that answer the question: Is Cuba Socialist?

http://www.slp.org/pdf/others/is_cuba.pdf

Westerner in Cuba

https://newrepublic.com/article/120589/cuba-visit-1963-after-fidel-castros-revolution

Revolutionary Racism in Cuba
http://www.coha.org/revolutionary-racism-in-cuba/

Rights of Women in Cuba
https://flatdictatorproject.wikispaces.com/Status+of+women+in+Castro%27s+Cuba+and+the+treatment+of+religious+groups+and+minorities

USSR (see handouts)

Soviet citizen interviewe

https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/fi/vol06/no06/soviet.htm

Soviet Healthcare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Russia

Soviet Constitution

http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/russian/const/36cons01.html

Soviet Education

http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/archive/anglosov.htm

China (see handouts)

Constitution of the People’s Republic of China 1954

http://www.hkpolitics.net/database/chicon/1954/1954ae.pdf

China Laws

http://www.johndclare.net/China7.htm

NPR: Barefoot Doctors in Communist China

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4990242

Is China Still Communist?

http://www.simplyshrug.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64:the-myth-of-communist-china&catid=31:general&Itemid=50

General Information about Communism

http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/communism-computing-china/china.html

Women in Communist China

http://www.china.org.cn/e-white/chinesewoman/11-2.htm

Article Summary Response

What is it?

In an effort to guide your research for your research paper you are required to find one article every two weeks in a city-wide, national, or international paper. Be selective when choosing your article; do not waste time with articles that will not be helpful for your research topic. This means you may have to skim through a number of articles before you find the right one.

 How do I do it?

Choose an article that is both interesting to you and informative as you will be required to share what you have found in class.

  Once you have chosen your article you will:

• Need to have a hard copy (this will be kept in your research folder in class)
• Summarize the article: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How
• Explain the POV (if there is one)
• Write a reaction to the article (example: do you agree/disagree, predictions you have, suggestions, etc.)

Explain how the article helps you answer your initial research questions and what questions come up for you after reading the article.

Aim Summary Portfolio

Select one of the following Aims and complete an Aim Summary Portfolio.

Your Essential Questions are:

Who has What in American society?

Who decides?

Are you OK with that?

Aim 3.12.13 – What is income and why do some people have so much of it than others? Are you OK with that?

Aim 3.14.13 – How should someone’s income be determined and what gets in the way of that?

Aim 3.19.13 – How do wealthy Americans acquire their fortunes? Are you OK with that?

Aim 3.20.13 – In what ways does having money lead to having power? Are you OK with that?

Aim 3.21.13 – Explain how American Democracy is affected by big business/money.

Due when we return from break!!!

Helpful Websites for Credit Card Education!

Go online and look through some of the suggested websites below.Read and list what credit cards are offering to consumers.

In small groups discuss how credit card companies target or attract certain consumers. Also list possible advantages and disadvantages of having a credit card.

Websites:
http://www.bankrate.com/ Compare credit card rates.
Choosing and Using Credit Cards tips for choosing the right credit card for you.
Credit Card Nation 3-step credit card education program. The right way to use a credit card.
Credit Wise How to establish and build good credit.
Money Talks Teen Guides guidance to young people about credit cards.

Links for the Atlantic Yards Project

Pro AYP:
Barclays Center
City Room Blog
Crains NY
ACORN Article
BUILD Brooklyn

Anit AYP:
Atlantic Yards Report
Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn
No Land Grab
NY1 Interviews Daniel Goldstein
Brownstoner Blog
ACORN Ratner Conspiracy