Fact. Value. Policy. The three primary components that define a public controversy. A public controversy has a factual foundation, is an issue of values, and has the desired result of a reformed, resisted, or reinstated policy. The guidelines leave much more breadth than it sounds- there are many issues, on both a small and large scale, that could be considered public controversies. For my entry today, I'm going to go over a few issues and weigh whether or not they could be considered public controversies.
Tuition Prices
Absolutely, yes. Tuition prices is an issue that affects a large range of people and is undeniably relevant in modern society. It is based on fact- the fact that tuition prices are at an all-time high, the fact that they have increased dramatically in recent years, the fact that U.S tuition prices are astronomical compared to that of other countries. There is value involved- the value of receiving an education and then carving out a valuable career path that meets an individual's goals. The policy is the issue at hand- how are these universities getting away with charging such high prices? How is our society being hurt by these prices, how can this change to ensure that an education is increasingly accessible? Tuition prices is definitely a public controversy.
Snooki's Poof
Well, let's weigh the issue. The fact is, I've been seeing less and less of the poof this season on Jersey Shore as compared to the two seasons prior. The policy- should Snooki be required to wear the poof a certain amount of times per season? Should she have a poof quota? I miss that thing- it had character. The value lies in...okay, maybe this isn't a public controversy after all.
The Breaking up of The Beatles
Tentatively, yes. The fact: John and Paul started arguing more and more about a wide range of issues- the presence of Yoko in the recording studio, John's drug usage, Paul's drug usage, John's evolving songwriting style versus Paul's evolving songwriting style, whose going to continue making Ringo feel included, etc. (The last one was a joke), The value: the existence of this band and their music's effectiveness- how they broke down cultural, gender, political, and societal barriers with their music. The policy: The issue itself. Many fans were heartbroken to hear the news the band was breaking up, and were in favor of them reuniting. Other fans understood the band had begun to grow apart and was content with the new arrangement of each artist now working on solo projects. So yes, the breaking up of The Beatles is a public controversy.
No Paper Towels in the Dorm Bathrooms
Fact: There are no paper towels or hand dryers in the dorm bathrooms. Value: Umm, hello, after washing my hands the natural next step would be to DRY THEM. Policy: Currently, no hand dryers or paper towels. The policy I would appreciate: being able to DRY MY HANDS. Maybe not a public controversy to the scale I wish it was, and not exactly a grave matter, but a relevant issue all the same.
I think the paper towel issue could be a public controversy. Many students value keeping things as eco-friensly as possible but not be able to dry your hands is very uncomfortable. Of courseit really only impacts the students not the entire public..but it still has an impact
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHAHAHA I enjoyed reading your blog. snooki's poof only served as a controversy when a bird nested in there or if there was a rumor that she was using a bump-it. The Beatles's break-up was a controversy that we (as in the world) are still suffering from and will possibly never recover from. On the paper towels, or shall I say the lack there of, there non-presence could lead to a major controversy. The university is leaving themselves open to lawsuits because students could spread diseases and catch sicknesses easier through improperly washed and dried hands. No hand driers or towels could lead to an epidemic.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE ready your blog entries because they always present interesting issues and actually make me laugh. I think that all of these issues present as public controversies, though I should point out that my floor has hand dryers in our bathrooms. They are incredibly loud though and so I rarely see people use them (I like using my own towel). Even though there is now a way to dry our hands, I wouldn't say that the public controversy is over.
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