Education
What stance does Kate Pickett (From the guardian reading) take on the private school system?
They should be abolished
According to Wilkinson, what countries have the highest levels of income equality?
Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark) and Japan
What interest does civic engagement intend to serve?
The public
Name two strategies that help overcome barriers in teaching Social Inequities of Health (Chapter 27) at the government level.
Increased public funding, limiting role of corporations in research and teaching, egalitarian policies that reduce elitism, alleviating class inequalities in university credentials
Based off income inequality, what percent of the United States experiences mental illness?
25%
Instead of telling a community what the problem is, what should you do?
Utilize transparency, discuss solutions and recognize non traditional knowledge, not just credentials
What are the effects of soft money contracts on research?
Jobs are contingent on obtaining grants, therefore researchers apply for popular grants to keep their jobs, which acts as censoring information.
What are some benefits of including grassroots organizations in negotiating, planning, and executing projects?
Equity, durability, empowerment, (contrast with “trickle down”)
How does the Community Jobs Oversight Commission (The Nation reading) increase civic engagement?
Allows for representation of all major stakeholders in a new development, acts as a check to ensure the government and developers are meeting their requirements for local-hires and public fund use
What are the benefits of putting the best schools in the worst neighborhoods?
Nothing is more powerful to transform a neighborhood than having a world-class school that people want their kids to attend. the neighborhood would quickly receive the investments and attention that it needs to become less challenged.
Name at least 2 of the 7 solutions for creating a more equitable and affordable city from the Hoffman article
1. Make public transit free to ride.
2. Crack down on the housing black market and empower tenants.
3. Use municipal property for housing.
4. Put the “best” schools in the “worst” neighborhoods.
5. Think and act interjurisdictionally to prevent race to the bottom.
6. Free the data and ask citizens to help.
7. Prepare for the future, not the past.
What do you think about Hoffman’s suggestion of making transit free to ride? Do you think it would work/ would it work in pdx?
The more people who use public transit, the more people who benefit, whether they are riders or not, due to reduced congestion and pollution and increased potential for productivity.