Public Discourse Blog (Sheila McQuade)

As I read the Chicago Tribune and my Facebook feed this morning, I realized just how relevant the topics studied MLS 590 are today.  First I read about the travel ban and then about a Muslim woman who was attacked yesterday in Ohio, which directly relate to my own research on refugee resettlements.  Then there was an article on teaching girls at a young age that it's alright to be different, and that by taking risks they can change the world and hold their own with men in society.  I also read a column about racism in America today--quite reminiscent of our own class discussion after reading Nobody.  And of course there were articles focused on the political divisions in our country.  Moving forward I just hope we can all continue the discourse, but in a civilized and accepting way.  I always tell my students there's two sides to every story. I know that I need to remind myself of that as we move through these challenges times.

I found the required books for this course really, really interesting, especially the Space of Public Opinion and Nobody.   The progression of the media’s reporting and commenting about current news has changed so much with the advent of the internet.   It seemed like everyone tuned into the nightly network news when I was a kid, but not I don’t really hear anyone talking about last night’s broadcasts.   I can say that I don’t even know the names of the 3 major networks evening broadcasters.   We’ve switched from trusting a knowledgeable news journalist or two to trusting sound bites provided by basically anyone with a Twitter account. But honestly, what will stick with me the most about the class is Hill’s book, Nobody. Hill makes it so apparent that our country has done a lousy job of caring for and providing opportunities for the most vulnerable.   It’s an overwhelming reality that has absolutely no easy solution. I only hope that our leaders and future leaders dedicate themsel

Over the course of my research on World Relief, what stands out to me the most is the fortitude of the refugee high school students. Regardless of what country and what type of conflict these kids have left behind, each must bear the burden of emotional scars while simultaneously navigating a completely foreign new life—foreign in every sense of the word—and they each make it work. It’s hard to put myself in their shoes. Most of the kids come here speaking little to no English, but they learn so quickly. They work hard, study hard, help support their families, and they help each other so much. Kim Orchard, the guidance counselor for the WR students at West Aurora, facilitates adjustment group meetings for the students to discuss, seek advice, or vent about issues they face.   Imagine an English-speaking counselor, a French-speaking African, an Arabic-speaking Iraqi who translates for a Bhutanese in Spanish so the Pakistani can understand…you get the picture. Given the level of trau

Except for the last chapter, Hill does indeed paint a bleak picture regarding the future for so many of our citizens. I must admit that after reading the book, my first reactions were of disgust and despair. How are the people who suffer from these State-sponsored hurdles supposed to break free of them in order to experience a safe and more rewarding life? The first two areas I’d like to see addressed are education, our police forces, and the prison system. I suggested in one of my op-eds that larger, diverse high schools should organize into a variety of learning academies to better prepare students for college and career, but the benefits of such a setting go beyond career potential.   So many students lack a stable, loving home environment.   In my years teaching I have found that a lack of family support is possibly the biggest cause of student failure. The academy model directly addresses the problem because the students matriculate together and oftentimes have the same tea

Wow. I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with some examples, but I keep coming up short. Luckily, I know a nineteen year old feminist who watches a lot of TV.   In particular, she brought up Orange is the New Black and Game of Thrones as examples of shows that portray strong women and shed light on gender inequity. By virtue of the all-female cast on OITNB, issues of gender inequity are inevitably raised.   The inclusion of women of color and varying sexuality does much to promote feminist viewpoints.   My daughter sees the treatment of the prisoners by the guards as a metaphor for how the women are treated in real life, also exposing oppression in society.   I found her inclusion of Game of Thrones to be interesting.   While I haven’t seen the show (I know…I need to watch it!), I have read about the controversies concerning the rapes and otherwise poor treatment of the female characters.   Do such plot points in some way elevate the oppression of women? Perhaps. But at the s

Here's in an interesting story I heard on NPR this morning about how social media makes people less social.   http://www.npr.org/2017/05/02/526514168/why-social-media-isnt-always-very-social

It’s easy to argue that the various outlets of social media are powerful tools for activism, but their capacity to create radical change is questionable. Social media provides opportunities for individuals and groups to raise awareness to issues quickly and efficiently.   Indeed, social media posts reach huge segments of the world’s population often in real time with subsequent shares making those numbers quickly grow exponentially. The Women’s March held in January is just one example of social media’s enormous, impressive reach. Without social media, the marches held across the world most likely wouldn’t have been so well-attended, but has life somehow changed for women because of the march? There certainly was a renewed sense of unification concerning women’s rights for a time, but the public’s focus quickly shifted to science as April’s Earth Day approached, and a new round of marches popped up.   Therein lies one of the pitfalls of social media as a means to radical change.

Scout Finch was one lucky little girl.  The wisdom bestowed upon her by Atticus surely helped her navigate through some very trying times. But Scout and her brother Jem aren’t the only people to learn from Atticus’ advice and life lessons.  Anyone who reads To Kill a Mockingbird learns the importance of one of life’s most valuable soft skills: empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings and emotions of others. My job as a high school English teacher entails working with students to become better communicators through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  But studying and discussing literature can do so much more. It’s vital that young people today develop empathy towards others in order to combat the polarization, discrimination, and intolerance currently at play in society.  The study of literature and the lessons it imparts can help build empathy in our leaders of tomorrow. Recent studies on empathy have shown alarming results.  For example, a University

Hi all, I received a timely email from my school's media specialist yesterday concerning fake news. If you'd like some tips on spotting fake news, you may want to check out these out handouts.  Here's his message: Here is a link to some handouts concerning fake news from the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois. Handouts include a list of fact checking websites and fake news spotting tips from the following organizations: On the Media Global Digital Citizen The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions The News Literacy Project Web Link Fake News Handouts http://media.ischool.illinois.edu/dl/events/fake_news_handout.pdf

I am recommending that large, diverse high schools restructure into small College and Career Academies to better serve the needs of all students.  Some students are better off learning a trade as they prepare to enter the job market.  

The rise of the “newer formats” was followed by the 2000 presidential election, so the environment was ripe for a more extreme political polarization to infect the country. It does seem like there has been a loss of mutual respect between opposing ideologies along with a reluctance to engage in civil discourse over pressing issues of the day. The word “compromise” has been forgotten by so many political pundits, and that has seemed to rub off on audiences.  When both sides are always in attack mode while simultaneously digging in their heels to promote their own agenda, it would appear unlikely that any real progress may be made.  With that being said, I do believe that this kind of programming has engaged a greater number of people, which can be good for democracy.  The entertainment value of the shows may be what initially increased viewership, but the result is more people watching and therefore learning about current affairs.  Certainly that can be considered a positive step

Regardless of the issue being discussed, it sure seems like Economics and Political Science have been the most thoroughly represented disciplines in the media, at least since 2008 and the Great Recession. It’s hard to blame the media for such a focus because it seems like that’s what most viewers want to hear about.  Of course the financial health of the country and its citizens will always be a hot topic, and between the auto industry’s near collapse, the banking/mortgage fiasco, and subsequent high unemployment levels all coinciding with the beginning of Obama’s presidency, the media always had relevant economic news to cover. And since the government became heavily involved in each of those crises, political commentary proved of equal interest.  Add to that the partisan shenanigans that exploded with Obama’s presidency, which have shown no signs of slowing down, and the media continues to have persistent political news to cover and analyze by bringing on political intellectuals. I

The first people that come to mind as contemporary public intellectuals are David Brooks and Doris Kearns Goodwin.  Brooks excels in presenting opinions (mainly political) in an enlightened, yet easily understandable way. Brooks consistently provides rational arguments for his opinions, and truly promotes the value of looking at both sides of an issue.  Doris Kearns Goodwin, the noted historian, places current events into historical contexts in a way that is both informative and entertaining. She is so intelligent and articulate, and I always learn something new when hearing her speak. I would also give honorable mentions to Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, along with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Colbert and Stewart very successfully use satire and humor to promote their views and educate the public.  DeGrasse is at one both brilliant and down to earth.

At the risk of sounding like an elitist, I believe that a health examination of public life and the public sphere in contemporary America—specifically news outlets and social media sites—leads to a disturbing diagnosis: they are both plagued by disease and are in need of serious remedy.   Whether analyzing the diarrhea known as Twitter, the constipation of the dread “comments” section, the high blood pressure of news outlets such as Fox and MSNBC, or the diabetes of the overfed mass of blogs, the productive discourse once propelled by the public sphere has become an infectious zone littered with personal opinions either lacking in background knowledge or influenced by fake news. Perhaps with proper medication and mindful exercise the health of the public sphere will improve, but the participants must first acknowledge their illness and strive for healing. Firstly, can the soundbites of 140 character tweets and similar posts really be considered discourse?   Rather than promoting s

Greetings Fellow PD-ers, I introduce myself to you as I begin my second class in North Central College’s MALS program. After earning my BA in English from Providence College many years ago, I spent several years working in both full-time and part-time capacities in HR, banking, and fitness while also raising my three children.  My husband’s career change brought us to Illinois from Virginia almost twelve years ago.  Once the family was settled, I attended NCC, earning a Teaching Certificate which I have put to use over the last 8 years in the English Department at West Aurora High School. Sharing my passion for literature while also helping teenagers improve their reading, writing, and speaking skills has provided much joy, satisfaction, and, at times, frustration over the course of my somewhat short career.  Grad school has been on my radar for a while, but it wasn’t until my youngest left for college last fall that I felt the time was right.  I chose the MALS program for bot