This has nothing to do with the central topic of this group. It does not reflect group effort. The other students have been working in good faith toward a common goal of cultural differences. This is to be a group project. Please understand the problems this will present for the other teams. It would not be fair to them to change the topic so drastically this far out.
Rodney
Substitutions, typos, and etc curtesy of smart technology that makes dumb mistakes.
On Nov 18, 2012, at 4:35 PM, "Michelle Moreno" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi Enzo (and all CC'd)
>
> Sorry for the late reporting on our group project. To be honest, the UVIC
> group was pretty confused about the instructions for the group project and
> how we were expected to work together across universities. If I am correct
> we are to write a group (all universities) introduction and conclusion to
> our collected works. In our university groups (i.e UVIC) we are to present
> a topic and the division of tasks and relevant academic resources for our
> projects. In terms of doing a project under the umbrella of Cultural
> Difference, our UVIC group was under the impression that group GI would be
> working on a common topic; we imagined a project that would analyze
> cultural difference in a self-reflexive and collaborative process. Now
> that our group is clear on the fact that we do not have to be working on a
> common topic for G1, our project proposal is as follows:
>
> University of Victoria – SJS 400A: GI
> Michelle Moreno, Jesse Kerr, Mikaila Montgomery
>
> Topic:
> University of Victoria Branded Clothing and Accessories – Marketing,
> Outsourcing, and University Decision Making
>
> Where does these products come from? How are they produced? How is it
> being marketed as “green” and/or “sustainable practice” by the univeristy?
> What is the current academic literature on these practices? What are the
> implications in terms of social justice, human rights, and globalization?
>
> As a group we are hoping to come together to answer these questions.
> Individually, each of us will be responsible for producing research and
> finding literature on one of three component topics that make up our
> larger research question. Together, we have already documented articles
> from the UVIC Bookstore we would like to investigate, and have contacted
> the person in charge of ordering for the bookstore who makes decisions
> about suppliers and the “UVIC” brand.
>
> Michelle – Marketing:
> Research university products, how they are marketed. “Desgined in Canada”
> and “Eco/Sustainable” labels on clothing and school supplies. How
> sustainable are these products really in terms of how they are actually
> being produced? Literature on greenwashing and other “socially minded”
> marketing practices will be key in making the link between academic
> literature and what is happening on the ground.
>
> Jesse – Outsourcing/Globalization:
> In our preliminary research we discovered that almost all of the products
> sold at the UVIC Bookstore are produced overseas and then shipped to
> Canada/Victoria. Jesse will research the globalization of textile and
> goods production, looking into the companies that supply UVIC with their
> branded goods and also on contemporary literature about globalized
> production of textiles and goods.
>
> Mikaila – University “Branding/Corporatization” and who makes the
> decisions at UVic about where our goods come from:
> Literature research into the corporatization/ branding of North American
> Universities. Connecting this phenomenon to globalization and other power
> structures and economic pulls. Mikaila is also our point-person in charge
> of contacting and maintaining dialogue with the person in charge of
> ordering at the bookstore.
>
> Each of us will submit our own papers to our professor, and as the final
> portion of our project we hope to come together and write an article or OP
> ed for the student newspaper at UVic, The Martlet. I also know that you
> are expecting a list of all the sources we are going to use for this
> project. At the moment, we are still gathering relevant sources, but we
> will e-mail them to you Enzo, and/or also cross post them to the NING
> group site.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Michelle Moreno
>
>> Tim. Do the best that you can. Look at the task. See what can be
>> accomplished and do it. Most projects star off way more ambitiously then
>> realistically can be accomplished. R
>>
>> Rodney
>>
>>
>> Substitutions, typos, and etc curtesy of smart technology that makes dumb
>> mistakes.
>>
>> On Nov 9, 2012, at 10:19 AM, "Timothy Thilberg"
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>>
>> I must admit I’m a bit speechless at this proposal. A project of this
>> magnitude I must say is a bit atypical for an undergraduate class (about
>> 50% larger than anything I have ever written), albeit slightly less so at
>> the senior level. With that in mind, this is almost beyond challenging
>> given we are now just 3 weeks from the end of the term and still
>> discussing topics/trying to contact members. Had this been the case, I
>> would have liked to begin something like this back in September…since
>> this will involve several hundred pages of unplanned reading and research.
>> As much as I welcome a challenge and am interested in the subject matter
>> -- and I can only speak for myself, but short of quitting both my jobs and
>> dropping a class, I at least don’t see myself being able to produce
>> anything that would equate to quality work of this length. What are
>> everyone else’s thoughts?
>>
>> Timothy Thilberg
>> Miami University of Ohio, Senior (2013)
>> Sociology/Criminology
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> || (513)-967-1215
>>
>> "Go to college. Get an education. Understand the law, the profession, and
>> our constitution so you understand your responsibility to the people and
>> the trust you are granted - and stay true to it." - Sheriff Dave Brown
>>
>> From: Enzo Colombo (enzo.colombo) [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 3:36 AM
>> To: Timothy Thilberg; 'Sydney Johnson';
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Cc: Rodney Coates;
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>;
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>;
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>;
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>;
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: R: RE: SOC 487 Globalization, Social Justice, and Human Rights
>>
>> dear Timothy, Sydney and Ashley, (with Giulia, Nicolò, Mikaila, Michelle
>> and Jesse copied)
>> I'm really sorry for the confusion ... but I think it may be a vivid
>> experience of how facing 'Cultural differences' could be challenging,
>> tiring and also (maybe) exciting. I do hope that such an experience can
>> teach you how to work in an intercultural setting.
>> I absolutely recognise that you at Miami U. worked seriously and
>> effectively, respecting deadlines and are doing your best to make this
>> group working properly. You are surely right in saying that with some more
>> accountability and clarity from the start, you might have been in a better
>> position at this point. As a justification, I may say that leaving you the
>> opportunity to make experience of the difficulties of working with people
>> who may have different point of views and different languages is in may
>> view as important as the ‘content’ of your final work. Nevertheless, I
>> recognize that this cannot simply mean leaving you in a total confusion!
>> I think that a common reflection on what working in a context in which
>> ‘cultural difference’ can matter means, may be a good starting point
>> for your Introduction and Conclusion.
>> One of the most difficult point is the lack of communication among you
>> (something astonishing considering the skill of younger generation in
>> managing ICTs!). So, I invite again Milano and UVIC students to
>> participate in an effective way to the common work!!! I personally find
>> Ning very useful and friendly, but if you prefer other platforms, please
>> propose and use them!
>> Time is the other ‘big problem’. I agree with you, but we have to look
>> at it as a ‘structural constraint’, we cannot do anything directly in
>> order to change it, so we have to adjust our project and our work in order
>> to fit the constrain.
>> Finally, the expectations of the project. I propose that each student
>> should be responsible for a 3000-4000 words contribution, defining a
>> (sub-)topic of her/his interest. I’ll leave all of you free to choose
>> your (sub-)topic and the method to develop it, while I invite you to
>> discuss together the problems and the results in your Introduction and
>> Conclusion.
>> Other form of final communication (i.e. video) are welcome but not
>> expected of everyone.
>> So, I agree with this timetable:
>>
>> • By 13-16 Nov, we should see full annotations on the articles
>> students plan to use for their individual assignments. This would provide
>> opportunities for collaboration, revision, or refinement of topics.
>>
>> • By 23 Nov, we should see research results in the range of
>> 3000-4000 words from each student
>>
>> • By 28 Nov, we should have a fully-compiled collaborative
>> Introduction and Conclusion, which can then be contributed to each of the
>> groups for review, as well as critical comments on the individual part by
>> all the other members of the group. Additionally, each group from each
>> University MAY submit the video of the presentation on each of their
>> findings.
>>
>> • By 5 Dec, the final project complete with the written work.
>>
>>
>>
>> Does this all seem agreable/on par/doable?
>>
>>
>>
>> all the best
>>
>>
>>
>> enzo
>>
>>
>> Il 08/11/12, Timothy Thilberg
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> ha scritto:
>> Sydney and Ashley (w/ Dr. Coates and Professor Colombo copied),
>>
>> I think I’ve more or less grasped what is going on here, and I will it
>> explain my interpretation thusfar.
>>
>> From what I gather, we are all together going to be writing a
>> collaborative literature work with regards to the topic “Cultural
>> Differencesâ€, with specific regards to Globalization, Social Justice,
>> and Human Rights. Collaboratively, we will have an introduction and
>> closing paragraph to this work, which will somehow (amazingly) tie
>> together our potpourri of research ideas relating to our specifically
>> assigned topic pairing (id est Cultural Differences and Globalization,
>> Cultural Differences and Social Justice, or Cultural Differences and Human
>> Rights). Each university’s students would be expected to evaluate this
>> topic from the vantage points of all three topic pairings. Each
>> university’s group would then provide a presentation of their findings
>> to show in class and to the other groups. Now, in this process, we’ve
>> run into a few obstacles, some of which might be obvious:
>>
>>
>> 1) Definition of the topic – In a rather ironic twist, there are
>> some very different opinions from each region on what exactly cultural
>> differences are. Perhaps an interesting topic in and of itself, the
>> cultural problems that plague a particular nation are going to be
>> drastically different. At this point, I think it is best that we each go
>> about this from a local perspective and tie it together in order to form a
>> rounded global summary/examination of the issue.
>>
>> 2) Time – Already working on a short timeframe, we’re essentially
>> collaborating on a 24-hour delay. With this in mind, discussion or debate
>> severely exacerbates the abovementioned issue, and it wasn’t until
>> Professor Colombo intervened that we at Miami decided to locate some
>> bibliographical references in attempt to prevent the project from
>> derailing. That being said, we haven’t had much accountability to the
>> group, and it’s difficult for students to get on each other to get
>> things done, let alone ones in other time zones.
>>
>> 3) Expectations of the project – We are still quite engaged in a
>> discourse regarded the exact specifications and scope of what the
>> “project†is. The instructions we have are as follows:
>>
>> Students will collaboratively participate to research and write a group
>> reflection paper connecting their research to course material.
>> Specifically, the case study projects aims to provide students with an
>> opportunity to explore course material through real world experiences and
>> data. Students will individually write reflective journal entries
>> pertaining to the projects, their efforts, course readings and
>> discussions.
>>
>> I think some sort of guidance as to the suggested scope and/or page length
>> might have been helpful, as a 1-2 page contribution per student vs. a 5-6
>> page contribution per students provides very drastically different
>> opportunities for exploration.
>>
>> 4) Participation – Nobody is perfect, and even us students at Miami
>> were slow to start since we were presenting right at the beginning of the
>> multinational project, but it should be stressed (and checked up on by our
>> supervising professor) that we are diligent in moving forward on this. I
>> think with some increased accountability and clarity from the start, we
>> might have been in a better position at this point.
>>
>> At this point, I just wanted to provide some input as a student as to the
>> difficulties we have encountered with this and some personal reflection on
>> it. I think it is very possible that we can still be successful with this,
>> and we’re going to make sure that we push forward and spell out what is
>> expected of everyone. With this in mind, I’m going to ask this of the G1
>> group:
>>
>>
>> A) ASAP we need at least a bibliographical outline or synopsis of what
>> each person plans to investigate. MUOhio is the only one to report in and
>> Milano has pretty much indicated their preferred topics. We have yet to
>> get much of substance at all from UVIC.
>>
>> B) Once A is accomplished, I think it would then be very easy to come
>> up with an introduction and conclusion to our research. With the actual
>> results in mind, it may be hard to craft a conclusion, but I think at this
>> point we should be evaluating how either roadblocks or characteristics of
>> Cultural Differences create global or multinational issues.
>>
>> C) By 13-16 Nov, we should see full annotations on the articles
>> students plan to use for their individual assignments. This would provide
>> opportunities for collaboration, revision, or refinement of topics.
>>
>> D) By 23 Nov, we should see research results in the range of a 2-4?
>> page article from each student
>>
>> E) By 28 Nov, we should have a fully-compiled collaborative written
>> work, which can then be contributed to each of the groups for review.
>> Additionally, each group from each University should submit the video of
>> the presentation on each of their findings.
>>
>> F) By 5 Dec, the final project complete with the written work and
>> compiled video will be submitted.
>>
>> Does this all seem agreeable/on par/doable?
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>> Timothy Thilberg
>> Miami University of Ohio, Senior (2013)
>> Sociology/Criminology
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> || (513)-967-1215
>>
>> "Go to college. Get an education. Understand the law, the profession, and
>> our constitution so you understand your responsibility to the people and
>> the trust you are granted - and stay true to it." - Sheriff Dave Brown
>>
>>
>>
>> From: Sydney Johnson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 12:42 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>;
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: SJS 437
>>
>> This was Coates response to my email abt our group confusion. I'm still
>> confused....tell me if u understand our assignment more clearly after
>> reading this!
>>
>> From: "Coates, Rodney D. Dr."
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>> Date: November 8, 2012, 10:57:02 AM EST
>> To: "Evans, Angel Alese" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>,
>> "Johnson, Sydney Alexandra"
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>> Subject: RE: Cultural Differences -
>> Angel and Sydney:
>>
>> Please read the responses below and act accordingly..
>>
>> Rodney c..
>>
>> From: The Partners Project [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
>> Of Coates, Rodney D. Dr.
>> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 10:52 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: Cultural Differences -
>>
>> Sarah:
>>
>> Thanks I will share this with our students..
>>
>> r
>>
>> From: The Partners Project [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
>> Of Sarah Hernandez
>> Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 10:48 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: Cultural Differences -
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> Yes, the two NCF students noted (Marliz and Amelia) are in the combined
>> group of A1+A2. They are interested in immigration. They would like to
>> do a service learning project. It occurred to me that it would be
>> possible for my students to participate in a project where some students
>> do bibliographic research and my students add to such bibliographic
>> inquiry their observations from service learning. It seems to me that
>> the final outcome would be an interesting presentation of immigration
>> challenges globally and how one local organization is working to address
>> immigration rights in the US. I directed them to suggest this and
>> consult with the faculty leading the group. If this is not acceptable,
>> they are ready to move forward with the bibliographic approach. They
>> understand I had informed the group that our students were flexible
>> enough to adjust to either the service learning or case study approach.
>> Hence, they simply need to be directed as to what the group and
>> directing faculty think is best.
>>
>> As for the groups I'm directing:
>>
>> Group on Food security: Two students from Texas (and possibly one from
>> Florida) are exploring GMOs, one from Florida and one from Canada seem to
>> be moving to explore relining or food access in urban settings in the US
>> and Canada -swapping countries-.
>>
>> Human Trafficking: They had a nice start and have these three topics,
>> where each student takes one of them to research:1) one law that has been
>> put into effect to try and stop trafficking. It looks like the laws are
>> getting critiqued for covering things that might not necessarily stem from
>> trafficking (prostitution). 2) one organization and how they are trying to
>> combat the issue. Discuss possible drawbacks to their approach and analyze
>> whether it is effective. 3) the human trafficking hotline - discuss how
>> effective/ineffective this tool is in stopping trafficking. For instance,
>> see if there are a variety of language options or if you have to speak
>> English.
>>
>> Brian Drain: It only has two students. Ana Murillo from Texas has not
>> replied to e-mail inquiries. I have e-mailed both of them but have not yet
>> received a response. David Scrivener from my institution, noted that they
>> have had some e-mail exchange, but Murillo does not seem very prompt in
>> her responses. Since they do not use NING to communicate, it is difficult
>> for me to know how their project is advancing.
>>
>> Broadly speaking, I've instructed students to begin doing their research
>> and that they are expected to submit initial findings on the 16th.
>>
>> Sarah
>> On Thu, Nov 8, 2012 at 8:34 AM, Coates, Rodney D. Dr.
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>> Enzo. I Will relY this to my students today. Thanks. T
>>
>>
>>
>> Rodney,
>>
>>
>> Typos, strange insertions, and garbled communication courtesy of smart
>> technology that males dumb mistakes.
>>
>> ----- Reply message -----
>> From: "Enzo Colombo"
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>> To: "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>"
>> <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>> Subject: Cultural Differences -
>> Date: Thu, Nov 8, 2012 8:29 AM
>>
>> For what I know, this is the situation for G1-Cultural Difference:
>> Marliz Calleja and Amelia Hollis from New College are interested in
>> A1-Immigration and not in G1 (I told them that A1 is supposed to be a
>> Case
>> study group and not a Service Learning group)
>> I invited the two students from Milan in G1 to submit their outline
>> within
>> the end of this week. During the last weeks, there has been a discussion
>> about the common project, with students presenting very different topics
>> (from Cultural competence in Medicine to outcast and hobo in Milan), but
>> also some interesting reflections on the effects of language on the
>> definition of 'Cultural difference'. I suggested to start from this point
>> to
>> produce a common introduction and a common Conclusion, and leave each
>> student to go deeper in her/his specific interest (if possible, looking
>> at
>> specific local issues).
>>
>> Milano student in C1-Child welfare, complained that Angel Evans, Miranda
>> Blais, and Ian Free from Miami U., are not participating in the
>> discussion
>> and never answered to the messages of the other students
>>
>> enzo
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Messaggio originale-----
>> Da: The Partners Project [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Per conto
>> di
>> gsitara
>> Inviato: mercoledì 7 novembre 2012 21:46
>> A: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Oggetto: Re: Cultural Differences -
>>
>> I would love it if Sarah and Enzo clarified for all of us so that we are
>> not
>> giving our students contradictory information.
>>
>> I met with one of the U Vic students from cultureal differences and human
>> rights yesterday and we proposed a meeting with all their group tomorrow.
>> They are talking about doing local...so it would be great to know what
>> other
>> instructors are suggesting to students.
>>
>> Georgia
>>
>>> Sarah and Enzo, I just got this from my students..
>>>
>>> Could you please clarify..with your students...
>>>
>>> r
>>>
>>> Rodney D. Coates
>>> Professor and Interim Director of Black World Studies
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Johnson, Sydney [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 2:55 PM
>>> To: Coates, Rodney D. Dr.
>>> Subject: SJS 437
>>>
>>> Dr. Coates,
>>> Tim Thilberg, Ashley Malin and I are in G1-Cultural
>>> Differences and we chose to do a case study. We submitted our outline
>>> on time however; none of our partner schools have (Milan or UVIC). In
>>> addition, it seems that the other two groups do not fully understand
>>> our assignment. We have been following the outline that you provided
>>> and we clearly relayed to the other schools Miami's division of labor
>>> and the particular stance that we are taking on cultural differences
>>> in the U.S. But there still seems to be some confusion on their part
>>> about choosing a clear topic (they've been talking about researching
>>> "outcasts", "the excluded", "hobos and
>>> buskers"...) and also about the direction and tight time schedule of
>>> the project. Lastly, two new students have somehow joined our group.
>>> Marliz Calleja and Amelia Hollis from New College in Sarasota, Florida
>>> commented on our group page on the 30th and said they were the new
>>> additions to our group and that they wanted to do a Service Learning
>>> project (I politely told them that we've already decided to do a case
>>> study). We are all just very confused at this point because it doesn't
>>> seem as if any of the groups are on one accord. Your help would be
>>> greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
>>> Sydney Johnson
>>>
>>> --
>>> Sydney Johnson
>>> Miami University Class of 2014
>>> Black World Studies Major
>>> Social Justice Studies Minor
>>> Resident Assistant -Havighurst Hall
>>> P&G ReadyU Campus Ambassador
>>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]><mailto:[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>>
>>
>> Dr. Georgia Sitara
>> Sessional Lecturer
>> Departments of History,
>> Women's Studies,
>> and Social Justice Studies
>> University of Victoria
>>
>> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
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