Assignment 1: Discussion—Community Structures

The family is a major influence in a child’s life and continues to be so for much of a child’s life. However, as a child grows and has experiences outside of the home, many additional community and cultural influences come into play.

Using the module readings, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet, research some community structures and functions and respond to the following:

• Choose one structure (such as physical factors, economic factors, and social and personal factors) and one function (such as learning environment and support system).
• Explain how your chosen structure and function might impact different cultural groups within a community.

Evaluate how this structure and function might vary in degree of influence depending on various factors of the child such as age, gender, income status, etc. Remember that cultural groups consist of many different factors that shape one’s sense of group identity such as race, ethnicity, religion, income status, gender, occupations, and geographical locations.

Write your initial response in a minimum of 300–400 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources, including use of in-text citations and full references. Incorporate information from at least two academic sources to support your statements or ideas. Academic sources could include your textbook, required readings for this week, or academic journal articles found in the Argosy University online library.

By Saturday, November 1, 2014, post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Through Wednesday, November 5, 2014, review and comment on at least two peers’ responses. Consider commenting on the following:

• Do you agree with your peers’ explanation of the impact of their chosen structure and function on cultural groups within a community? Why or why not?
• Suggest alternative explanations for your peers’ answers if their choice is different from yours. Give reasons for your recommendations.
• Select a structure and function that is different from your earlier choice and explain its impact.

Grading Criteria and Rubric