Kulturraumstudien USA, Work for Week Eight (May 18-22)

This week, we're going to pursue answers to four questions related to higher education and research in the United States.

Why is college so expensive in the United States?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWJ0OaojfiA
1. What is the difference between state, for-profit and non-profit institutions of higher education?
2. What is the oldest university in the States and when was it founded?
3. What was the taxpayer revolt?
4. How do tuition fees between the 1980s and today compare?
5. What is the average amount of student debt?
6. What is the degree completion rate among US undergraduates?
7. Why are certain private colleges/universities so expensive?
8. Why will most young people in the future need to have gone to college?
9. What is an income-share agreement?
10. Why are some young people against "free college"?
In the rankings portion of this video, SAT scores were referenced. Using outside research, answer the question: what is the SAT?

Some young people in the United States attend community colleges for the first two years of their Bachelor's studies and then transfer to the four-year college thereafter to save money. Some politicians are in favor of making community college free. Using outside research, answer the question: what are community colleges?

In order to answer the question "What does the admissions process to university look like?" please look up a college or university in the States that is of interest to you and visit their admissions pages. What surprises you about what is involved in their admissions process?

What is affirmative action? Watch this video and answer the questions below: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWYNNFu1aQk

1. Who introduced the term "affirmative action"?

2. What were the specifics of the Supreme Court's ruling of 1978?

3. How did it rule in 2015?

4. Outside research: how did the Supreme Court rule in the case regarding Asian-American candidates at Harvard?

***Update: The questions discussed in today's Zoom session are listed below. A new batch of questions will be discussed in our next Zoom on June 8th from 4-5 pm (16:00-17:00 Uhr). My apologies for scheduling today's Zoom so early. The Zoom session for June 8th will use the same Meeting ID and password advertised in my Week Seven post.***


Answer the questions below in complete sentences in detail. (Use examples where appropriate.)

1. Why do young Americans continue to join the military?

2. How did immigrants shape the US film industry?

3. Name a modern US television series or film and describe how it is a product of its time.

4. How have German immigrants shaped US history?

5. How do the children of immigrants in the United States differ from their immigrant parents?

6. How will 2020’s census data differ from the previous census data?

7. What does a Democratic candidate need to do to beat Trump this fall?

8. With what populations does Trump’s anti-Chinese rhetoric resonate?

9. How do the US and German* healthcare systems differ? (Feel free to replace “German” with another country you are familiar with.)

10. Why do some young Americans choose not to vote?

11. What is culture?

Please do not write: “the ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.”

12. Write a research question that is related to US culture. Include a hypothesis and a data set for your question.