1. Students are required write a current event essay in which they analyze an article and relate it to course topics.  Students will need to find an article (Economist, Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, etc.) and write a three-page essay (Times New Roman, double-spaced, 12 point font, and one-inch margins are REQUIRED) relating the article to topics discussed in the course.  The article must be cited in the essay.  Students will be graded on their ability to follow directions and articulate how course topics relate to their article of choice.  The essay is due during Week 18. Late essays will not be accepted. The essay is worth 50 points.

Use the following outline to discuss diversity, inequality, and immigration in human services:  

1. Overview of Inequality. Present the history of inequality and racial injustice in our society. Discuss the current disparities in housing and home ownership, health, health insurance, social mobility, employment status, and political representation. Have such disparities improved over time or have they become progressively worse? What is the current state of prejudice, discrimination, and oppression?

1. Understanding Ethnicity. Describe how our overall view of ethnicity has been shaped by cultural definitions, media stereotypes, ethnic identity, institutional racism, and discrimination.

1. Immigration. Examine the impact of immigration and immigration policy on cultural diversity and social inequities. What are the current controversies surrounding immigration, and what are your personal thoughts on them from a human services perspective?

1. Working with Diverse Groups. As human services professionals, we work with a diverse group of audiences and clients. Discuss the considerations and guidelines for working with diverse groups, such as ethnic minorities, women, the gay and lesbian community, and people with disabilities.

Your assignment should be two- to three-pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), formatted according to the APA guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  You must utilize at least three scholarly sources that are cited according to APA style.  

required textbook: Mandell, B. R., & Schram, B. (2012). An introduction to human services policy and practice (8^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Activity Instructions: Team Essay

Identify a team in which you have had many opportunities to participate, observe, and interact. This team does not necessarily need to be from industry; however, please review the concepts below that you will be required to discuss prior to selecting the team you wish to cover. The list of concepts may help you select or eliminate certain teams. The team you choose should have been in existence over a reasonable period in order for you to discuss team development and to have specific examples to support your conclusions.

If you have never personally participated in a team suited for this activity, you may select a team in which you were not a member and interview two (2) or more team members. In your interviews, you should focus on each of the concepts below that will then be developed into an essay. You should not simply ask, “What type of team is this?” because many people are not familiar with the terms you have learned in this assignment. Rather, you should ask more general questions such as, “Are each of the team members in the same department, or are they in different departments? Are all members in one location? Do team members meet in person, or is their communication only via e-mail, voicemail, or teleconferencing?”

After identifying a team, write an essay describing that team with the concepts presented in Chapter 10 of the text. The objective of your essay is to demonstrate that you understand the concepts and that you can apply them to a real-world situation; therefore, you should discuss/explain each of the following five (5) concepts and then relate your team to each concept using examples. Provide three (3) examples for each concept.

1.     Type of Team: functional team, cross-functional team, self-directed team, virtual team, or global team

2.     Description of Interdependence: interdependence, pooled interdependence, sequential interdependence, or reciprocal interdependence

3.     Stages of Team Development: forming, storming, norming, performing

4.     Cohesiveness

5.     Conflict

Your Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (150 points) (A 5-page response is required for the combination of Parts A, B, and C.)

The cultural diversity attachment is used for the outline that is attached.