Reference no: EM133681026

Question 1: In Jamil Zaki's TEDx talk, he described empathy as a skill that can be cultivated but also a societal resource that can be sapped. He also described how empathy is an important choice that can be hard to make, either turning away from or engaging with opportunities to empathize. Discuss situations where empathy can be hard and how it might be made harder by social and situational influences, particularly those you have learned about in the course. Further, discuss ways in which empathy can be promoted and developed.

Question 2: Having read, both in the textbook and the Scientific America article, about research examining the influence of consuming violent media (i.e., watching violent television shows and playing violent video games) on aggression, discuss your own opinions on the issue and the real-world significance of the research. Has reading this research changed your view of violent media and will it change your own behaviour? What, if anything, do you believe we should do as consumers, parents and society at large to mitigate the influence of such media on aggression?

Question 3: Discuss ways in which a city and its neighborhoods could be designed, or redesigned, to promote contact between groups and create the conditions for optimal contact according to the four conditions discussed of the textbook. This discussion will take a bit of creativity, but don't feel your ideas need to meet all of the optimal conditions, some may meet only one or two of these conditions.

Further, don't feel limited to ideas you feel could be implemented in your own existing neighborhood, if it helps you can think of yourself as a city planner building a new city from scratch. The purpose of the discussion is to think about ways big and small, that our cities could promote meaningful contact between members of different groups thus helping to reduce prejudice and discrimination. When discussing, consider things that may influence the diversity of neighborhoods and the many spaces in cities where people socialize, including community spaces such as parks, libraries, and community centres.