In a two- to three-page paper (not including the title and reference pages):

Discuss how virtual teams have changed project management.

• Identify the tools needed to effectively manage a virtual team.
• Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using virtual teams.
• Identify the skills you possess that would enhance a virtual team project.

Your paper should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the approved APA style guide, and should cite at least two scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.

#1

Within criminal justice, researchers are often faced with a plethora of anecdotal data with little empirical support for such assertions. We have all, no doubt, heard anecdotes pertaining to gang initiation rites, killers stalking baby sitters, or corpses discovered rolled in carpets by hapless hotel maids. Criminal justice researchers depend primarily upon empirical data as the most useful tools with which to explore the nuances of the issues plaguing society. However, one can always ponder the usefulness of anecdotal data. In contemporary research, there has yet to be a consensus pertaining to the proper place and function of anecdotal data. Jacques (2014) discusses both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Respond fully to the following questions:

How would you explain the differences between the use of empirical research data from that of anecdotal data?
How do these differences inform how criminal justice data might be evaluated and interpreted in published research findings?
Is there a place in formal research for anecdotal data?

#2

Within the field of criminal justice, lie a host of intriguing issues and problems. Scholars devoted to research in the area of criminal justice utilize both qualitative and quantitative data in their quest to obtain answers to the many issues inherent in the study of crime and human behavior. It is imperative for ethical, robust, and viable research that data utilized by researchers be applied appropriately and analyzed accurately.

Respond to the questions posed below.

How would you describe the ways in which research data can be applied to a particular problem in criminal justice?
How important is the evaluation and accurate interpretation of data utilized in research analyses?

Watch the video of President Obama’s March 18, 2008, speech at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia regarding the role race played in the 2008 presidential campaign. This speech, sometimes dubbed the “More Perfect Union” speech, can be found in several locations on the Web. Two suggested locations are provided below.

After viewing and reading the speech, write a two-to three-page paper in which you respond to the following questions:

• President Obama chronicles the resentments of blacks and whites and states, “Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze….” (Obama, 2008, para. 36.) Do you think the resentments of each subgroup are valid? Why or why not? Do you agree with his statement that the anger and resentments are counterproductive? Why or why not?
• In the speech, President Obama quotes William Faulkner, “The past isn’t dead and buried; in fact, it isn’t even past.” (Obama, 2008, para. 27.) What do you think this statement means, and what implications does it have for race relations in the United States?
• Do you believe a trans-racial society is desirable and possible in the United States? In your opinion, what changes would have to take place in our culture and/or our communications with one another for this societal change to take place?

Eight Elements of Thought and Reasoning

There are eight elements of thought in reasoning. We often use more than one element at the same time.  For example, your Point of View includes Assumptions. Therefore, we can assume that these elements are two aspects of the same thing.

Analyze the parts of thought and reasoning and re-organize the eight elements into four distinct categories by pairing elements together similar to the example above.  Briefly describe each new category you created and present your reasoning for each category. Include the characteristics of the original eight elements in your descriptions and reasoning.

Example:

 

Description:

Point of view is …

Assumptions are…

Point of view and assumptions were placed into one new category because …

 

1. What were the most significant causes and results of the Crusades? Consider religious, economic, and social factors in your analysis. Were the Crusades, on balance, a major mistake? Why or why not?

 

2. Discuss the most visible reminder of thirteen-century beliefs: the Gothic cathedrals.  Describe the architectural style we call Gothic.  What interests did these building serve?  How did the cathedrals, their glass, and their sculptures reflect their time and mentality?

 

3. Comment on this statement and provide evidence to support it, “It is said that the three chief components of European Civilization are German tribes, Roman legacy, and the Christian Church.”

Franklin hears about people being discriminated against at the workplace and in society but rarely experiences it first hand. Cortez, on the other hand, speaks English poorly and is often subject to derogatory comments from peers and coworkers.

Reflect on your experience with racial discrimination.

Identify examples of racial discrimination and provide examples you have personally witnessed or heard about firsthand from the following three realms:

• family
• workplace
• community

Write a brief summary that includes the following:

• Describe a racial incident pertaining to each realm in detail. Explain why you believe this is racial discrimination.
• Explain how this situation could have been handled to avoid discrimination against those belonging to another race.

Assignment 2: Reflections on Racial Discrimination

Franklin hears about people being discriminated against at the workplace and in society but rarely experiences it first hand. Cortez, on the other hand, speaks English poorly and is often subject to derogatory comments from peers and coworkers.

Reflect on your experience with racial discrimination.

Identify examples of racial discrimination and provide examples you have personally witnessed or heard about firsthand from the following three realms:

• family
• workplace
• community

Write a brief summary that includes the following:

• Describe a racial incident pertaining to each realm in detail. Explain why you believe this is racial discrimination.
• Explain how this situation could have been handled to avoid discrimination against those belonging to another race.

Short Paper 2

There are two basic types of project selection models: non-numeric and numeric. As a project manager, you should prepare a report that provides an overview of the selection criteria, selection models, and management processes. Your short paper should do the following:

Groups can either become cohesive and harmonious across a life span or can face some relational tensions that can break them up. Relational tensions can include personality issues, emotional conflicts, and people-oriented challenges that the groups face.

In this assignment, you will conduct research using the Argosy University online library resources and the Internet to explore how groups bond together and why these groups last longer than other groups. You will also explore the reasons for relational tensions and how such tensions can break the groups up.

Tasks:

In support of your research, in a minimum of 400 words, respond to the following points:

• Describe a group that you have been a member of for many years. This could be personal or professional.
• Describe the bonds that have been formed in your group.
• State whether the group is still together, and explain the reasons for its current status.
• Describe the relational tensions the group has incurred along the way. What are the implications of these tensions on the group dynamics? How have these tensions been or could be resolved?
• Discuss the manner in which you might avoid issues such as conformity, normative influence, informational social influence, and obedience or any other type of interference in a group supervision meeting at a human services organization.