In-Class Brainstorming

I'm passionate about abortion laws, adoption, gay marriage, race relations, and there are many other social issues that I'm interested in however, this is from the top of my head. I believe all of these social issues related to psychology, and sociology because they deal with "why" people do certain things and how the relate. For example, people who have abortions can be attributed to the economic status of our country. Another example would be gay marriage and how religion impacts people's perception of what the laws should be for marriage.

Activity Five/Brainstorm for writing

The family in USA today

• Religion-Does this impact the family unit?
• Income-Is the man of the house still the "breadwinner?"
• Chores-Are mothers/wives still expected to cook, clean,etc.?
• Parenting-Stay at home dads vs. stay at home moms
• Elderly- Why are so many American elderly in nursing homes?
• Marriage-Is it necessary for a "ideal American" family?
• Two mommy's/daddy's-The rise of homosexual couples having/adopting children
• Geography- suburbs vs. city-where is the ideal place for a family to live?
• Culture-Food, clothing, language, what aspects of other cultures should remain within American families?
• Education-Are schools responsible to teach children everything, e.g. reading, writing, etc.?
• Manners-Are parents responsible for teaching children: please, and thank you?
• Nutrtion-Are families teaching destructive eating habits?

Activity One/Linguistic History

Writing tasks in school differed over the years. During my early childhood education I remember writing pen pal letters, and fiction stories. As the years went on writing assignments began to change and I remember writing persuasive letters, book reviews, summaries, and journals. Other writing assignments I recall are: poems, short plays, reports (science and English), critiques, essays, advertisements, story boards,and business proposals. I also wrote for pleasure, keeping a diary and writing short stories. I did not find writing a difficult task.

During my adolescence I persuaded my interest in creative writing and applied to C.A.P.A. (Creative and Performing Arts High School), a school dedicated to the arts. When I wasn't accepted I lost interest in writing. My interest in reading has declined as well. However, I have always tried to read at least one novel/book in a six month period, and when I do chose to read I enjoy reading books that I can learn from e.g. self help books, and social problems. I also enjoy reading magazines like: "Lucky," "Cosmo," "Vogue," "Ebony," "Essence," and other fashion magazines.

In retrospect I have not wrote for pleasure in years, in terms of poetry, short stories, etc. Due to school, writing feels more like a chore. I do write emails, and I am constantly on social networks, as well as sending texts. I believe this is the only form of writing that I do outside of an academic setting. I never think about increasing the amount of time that I spend on writing, however, I'm always telling myself that I need to read more. I wonder why I never consider that I need to write more.

About Me

Hi, my name is Domonique. I am a senior at IUP. My major is psychology and my minor is Sociology. My areas of interest in Psychology are Human Sexuality, and Abnormal Psychology. In terms of Sociology my areas of interest encompass Race Relations, and Contemporary Social Issues, e.g. abortion. I enjoy learning and reading about controversial or taboo subjects. In May, 2010, I will gradate from IUP.

On a personal side, I am Philadelphia, PA. I attended an architectutral and design high school before entering college, where I studied numerous forms of art, e.g. painting, scupting, etc.

My hobbies include: shopping, cooking, painting, and listening to music (all genre's of music from classicsl to hip-hop).