This week’s assignment is a case study about people who were agents of moral change. For either of this week’s assignment options, students are instructed to engage in their own research. One or more primer articles have been provided to start your research. However, students are to include a minimum of two unique, external articles which pertain to their study subject. Students may use Wikipedia as a reference for this assignment.

Specifically, for either of these assignments, students are to use and cite two external documents, at least one Primer (or provided article), the article by Oldenquist, or Kluger, or Tomasellos, and an assigned reading article from a previous week. If you have questions, please ask.

Option One: 

Subject to the note above, research the life and accomplishments of one of the following moral agents of change: Malala Yousaf Zai, Standing Bear, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mitsuye Endo, Hannah Arendt, or Cesar Chavez. For this assignment, examine the life and actions of one of these individuals and then answer the following questions:

• What value(s) did your research subject demonstrate?
• How did this value help them become a moral agent of change? 
• What can we learn from this model citizen?
• How can we use our choices and behaviors to set positive examples for others?
• How might ordinary citizens become extraordinary moral agents of change?

OR

Option Two:

Subject to the note above, for this assignment, students will want to read and reference the following article.

• What Truth Looks Like, Bryan Appleyard, New Statesmen, 2018

In the article by Bryan Appleyard, the author examines Derek Parfit’s use of photography to explore morality. For this assignment, you will emulate Parfit’s search for morality through photography and the portrayal of images. Find or create an image, or two, and compose an essay of no less than 600 words in which you connect the assigned course readings on values, with an individual acting as an agent of moral change. Be certain to help your reader understand how your image captures this week’s lesson on individuals as agents of moral change. Be certain to share your image(s) on your assignment post.

You can create your own photographs or find images from noted museums.

• National Museum of American History

o   Welcome to the National Museum of American History, National Museum of American History, 2012

o   Online Exhibitions, National Museum of American History

• Smithsonian Institute

o   Exhibits Online, Smithsonian

• National Museum of African-American History & Culture

o   Inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture, CBS This Morning, 2016

• Transcript

o   Online Exhibitions, National Museum of African-American History & Culture

• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

o   The Collection, Museum of Modern Art

• American Jewish Historical Society(you will need to scroll to find the current exhibition)

o   Exhibitions, American Jewish Historical Society

• National Museum of the American Indian

o   Exhibitions, National Museum of the American Indian

• National Civil Rights Museum

o   EXHIBITIONS, National Civil Rights Museum

• Japanese American National Museum

o   Collections & Research, Japanese American National Museum

Answer preview

Additionally, Chavez’s advocacy efforts influence a citizen to make strategic choices and embracing behaviors that do not focus on personal gains. Making personal sacrifices should be a step that an engaged citizen should consider achieving the necessary change in society (Oldenquist, 1980). They become good examples to others since the positive outcomes achieved after the advocacy efforts become a motivator factor to more positive engagement in promoting morality in the community.

Like Chavez, ordinary citizens can become extraordinary moral agents of change once they realize that their loyalty to the community is the beginning of being activists of change. However, they need to be courageous to overcome hostility from influential people who do not embrace equality. Kluger et al. (2007) demonstrate that moral dilemmas arise when promoting good, but regardless, irrational thinking should not be an option. Instead, this should motivate ordinary citizens to identify more rational ways of promoting change.

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