Analyze how the leader created a distinct “culture” for followers and what elements of a culture were present in the setting.

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Assignment 1: Conformity and Social Influence

How do reasonable people go along with unreasonable ideas, including mass suicide? How do charismatic leaders create their own “culture” within a specific situation and setting and then bring followers along? It is unsettling to consider that researchers have found that almost anyone will obey orders if placed in the right situation.

For this Assignment, you will explore the role of conformity and social influence in the dynamics of a cult. Keep in mind the definition of “culture” as you examine how a powerful leader can create a distinct culture, or “cult,” that others join and follow: a set of attitudes, behaviors, and symbols shared by a large group of people (Shiraev & Levy, 2017, p. 4) .

To prepare:

  • Review the sections in Chapter 10 of your course text, beginning with “Universal Interaction” (p. 301), and pay particular attention to the content on conformity, obedience, leadership, and social power.
  • Your Week 5 Learning Resources provide information on three different cults and their leaders in recent U.S. history: Jim Jones and the People’s Temple, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, and Marshall Applewhite and Heaven’s Gate. You are encouraged to choose one as the focus of your Assignment. Additional Learning Resources provide insights on the dynamics of a cult.
    Note: If you prefer to choose a different leader and group, check with your instructor first for approval.
  • For your focus leader, review and analyze the Module 5 Learning Resources provided and additional resources you find in the Walden Library or in other sources, including reputable websites, to complete this Assignment.
  • For your focus leader and group, think about how each may exemplify the concepts of conformity, obedience, and social power:
    • How the leader builds a “culture” with its own rules outside of the larger culture
    • What elements compel followers to conform, such as charisma, isolation, and/or fear
  • Use the Learning Resources provided and those you find to analyze your leader and followers as an example of a situational development of a “culture” through conformity, obedience, and social power.
By Day 7

Submit a 2 – to 3-page research paper in which you do the following:

  • Describe the leader and followers who are the subject of your analysis.
  • Analyze how the leader created a distinct “culture” for followers and what elements of a culture were present in the setting.
  • Analyze how the leader used social power to influence followers.
  • Analyze elements that created conformity and obedience among the followers.
  • Explain how your chosen leader’s use of social influence applies to the leaders in your culture (e.g., local, academic, political, or other types of leaders you identify).

Note: Support the responses within your Assignment with evidence from the assigned Learning Resources and those you found. Provide a reference list for resources you used for this Assignment.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

  • Please save your Assignment using the naming convention “WK5Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” as the name.
  • Click the Week 5 Assignment 1 Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
  • Click the Week 5 Assignment 1 link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
  • Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as “WK5Assgn1+last name+first initial.(extension)” and click Open.
  • If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
  • Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Explain the potential benefits of the program evaluation that you proposed (both process and outcome).

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DQ

Dudley (2009) points out that social work practice is usually embedded in programs. While you looked at practice evaluation using single-subject design in Week 3, this week, you shift focus to program evaluation. Program evaluation serves many purposes, including accountability to funders and to the public. Often, funding sources such as government agencies or private foundations requires periodic program evaluations. These evaluations can help provide answers to many different questions and can contribute to improvement of services. There are a variety of program evaluation models that are appropriate for addressing different questions as well as facilitating the collection and analysis of many different types of data.

 Required Reading

1. Document: Logan, T. K., & Royse, D. (2010). Chapter 13 Program evaluation studies. In B. Thyer (Ed.), The handbook of social work research methods (2nd ed., pp. 221–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (PDF)

2. Dudley, J. R. (2014). Social work evaluation: Enhancing what we do. (2nd ed.) Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books.

· Chapter 1, “Evaluation and Social Work: Making the Connection” (pp. 1–26)

· Chapter 4, “Common Types of Evaluations” (pp. 71-89)

· Chapter 5, “Focusing an Evaluation” (pp. 90-105)

NOTE: You are going to have to pick a program within an agency that you are familiar with or locate one if you are not familiar with. 

To prepare for this Discussion, identify a program within an agency with which you are familiar, which could benefit from process evaluation and outcome evaluation. You do not need to identify the agency in your post. Also, review the different evaluation models highlighted in this week’s resources (needs assessment, program monitoring, client satisfaction study, outcome evaluation, or cost benefit study).

Post a brief summary 1 page of the program that you selected. Recommend a program evaluation model that would answer a question relevant to the program. Explain the potential benefits of the program evaluation that you proposed (both process and outcome). Identify 2–3 concerns that stakeholders might have about your proposed evaluation and how you would address those concerns. Then explain 2–3 concerns that stakeholders may have about your proposed program evaluation and how you would address those concerns.

Use APA Format and intext citations and references from both required reading and also creditable websites outside required reading.

What are some of the challenges associated with organizing for increasing minimum wage to $15.00 an hour? Are some of the challenges specific to any low wage groups (i.e., women, young adults, elderly, or people disability, etc.) or industries (i.e., retail, restaurant, or domestic workers, etc.) 

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Part 1:

Answer the following questions, from readings, in “answer and question format”:

1. Many campus and advocacy groups are currently involved in struggles for a “living wage.” How do you think a living wage should be calculated?

2. Were you surprised by the casual reactions of Ehrenreich’s coworkers when she revealed herself as an undercover writer? Were you surprised that she wasn’t suspected of being “different” or out-of-place despite her graduate-level education and usually comfortable lifestyle?

3. Many of Ehrenreich’s colleagues relied heavily on family—for housing and help with child-care, by sharing appliances and dividing up the cooking, shopping, and cleaning. Do you think Americans make excessive demands on the family unit rather than calling for the government to help those in need?

4. Nickel and Dimed takes place in 1998-2000, a time of unprecedented prosperity in America. Do you think Ehrenreich’s experience would be different in today’s economy? How so?

5. After reading Nickel and Dimed, do you think that having a job—any job—is better than no job at all? Did this book make you feel angry? Better informed? Relieved that someone has finally described your experience? Galvanized to do something.

Part 2: Essay Format

In two pages (not including cover or reference pages), write an Essay that addresses your views on low wage workers need for a $15.00 minimum wage in the US, including making an argument for or against the $15.00 minimum wage. Students are expected to cite sources to support arguments and format citations and reference list using APA (American Psychological Association -sixth edition).

As you think about your argument for or against the $15.00 minimum wage, consider some of the following questions:

* What is a living wage? How much is it today? Is it really a living wage?

* Why do you think caused the pay gap between men and women and how can we close the gap?

* What are some of the challenges associated with organizing for increasing minimum wage to $15.00 an hour? Are some of the challenges specific to any low wage groups (i.e., women, young adults, elderly, or people disability, etc.) or industries (i.e., retail, restaurant, or domestic workers, etc.)

Florida Workers Want To Raise Minimum Wage To $15.00 https://news.wjct.org/post/florida-workers-want-raise-minimum-wage-15

VIDEO: Florida Minimum Wage Challenge: Florida Minimum Wage Challenge – Week 1

Describe the topic, concept, idea, or approach that is going to be the central idea of the Week 7 Infographic. There is no minimum word count but please use several well thought-out sentences to make your point.

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After completing the Week 3 Full of Fallacies assignment, where we used logical fallacies to manipulate the audience in an advertisement, in Week 5 we will do the opposite. No fallacies allowed.

We’ll use well-structured arguments to persuade the audience of what we believe to be the truth using evidence from authoritative, unbiased sources as justification.

Choose an issue you’d like to convince other people of and find sources that will be the foundation for the Week 7 Infographic. Use the attached Source Evaluation Worksheet to complete this assignment (CO1).

Part I: Choose a topic.

Describe the topic, concept, idea, or approach that is going to be the central idea of the Week 7 Infographic. There is no minimum word count but please use several well thought-out sentences to make your point.

Part II: Source Evaluation Worksheet

– Find a minimum of three (3) sources; two (2) academic sources from the APUS library and one (1) article (quality online or newspaper article).

– Annotate your list of sources, i.e. explain what you hope to get out of these readings and how it will help you argue your point.

– For this assignment, do not use the website sources you used in the Week 3 Forum.

– Follow the format found in the Source Evaluation Worksheet.

Consider the following:

– Please upload the completed Source Evaluation Worksheet and write directly into it.

– Be detailed and precise when completing the worksheet.

– Your annotation of your sources should be in your own words with some quotations from your source.

The source evaluation worksheet is attached to this request.