Fisher Spanish 2005 Topics ========================== S01) Music T01) "Music is the universal language of mankind" - Henry Longfellow. Is music a way to bring people together from different backgrounds? Can music help to achieve peace or help make the world a better place, or is music the source of social divisions? What about music with violent or aggressive lyrics? Is the message the medium or is the medium the message? S02) Music T02) What music do you like? Does music play a large part in your life? How do you find your music? S03) Marriage T03) Interracial marriage. Do you think interracial marriage is a good thing? Would you marry someone of a different race? Do you think it would be difficult raising biracial kids? Would it be hard being a biracial kid? Do you think some interracial marriages are easier than others, for example, Asian and white marriages as opposed to black and white marriages? S04) Religion T04) Do you think that religion is divisive? Or is it unifying? Example: Do the beliefs of Christians, Muslims, and Jews bring people together? Or do the beliefs of various religions ostracize or marginalize people; like the views of Christians on homosexuality? Would there be less divisions in society if everyone were of the same religion? S05) Cell phones T05) How do you feel about the popularity of cell phones today? Do you find cell phones to be a convenience or an annoyance? Do you believe laws defining appropriate or safe use of cell phones are necessary to prevent public safety risks or misuse? For example, do you believe there should be laws against driving while talking on a cell phone or using cell phones in movie theaters? S06) Dating T06) What were your best and worst dates? How has dating changed over the past years? Have you ever participated in internet dating or personal ads? In your opinion, what are the advantages or disadvantages of meeting people this way? S07) Telemarketing and SPAM T07) Have you ever bought anything via an unsolicited email or phone call? Do you think this form of marketing works? Do you support the DO NOT CALL lists? Should there be a DO NOT SPAM list? S08) Politics T08) Is there a difference between the Democratic and Republican parties, or are they simply two peas in a pod? Does the fact that we only have two parties stifle debate or provide stability? Should we have more mainstream parties? If so, how many? Any kind in particular? S09) Travel T09) Do you travel frequently? What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of traveling? If money and time were not an issue, where would you visit and for how long? Describe your dream vacation. Who would you take with you and what would you do? S10) Technical devices T10) What kind of technical devices are part of your daily life? What piece of technology could you not live without? Do you think this dependence is good or bad? How have these gadgets affected your life? Do you feel that they have simplified or complicated it? S11) Healthcare T11) How has the United States healthcare system affected you? Do you, or does someone you know, live without healthcare? How do you feel about this? Do you think the United States should or could have a socialized healthcare system as opposed to the for-profit system in place now? S12) Advertisements T12) Describe your favorite or least favorite advertisement. How do you think advertisements affect who buys what? Are children more susceptible to advertising than adults? Do you think that some possibly dangerous products such as cigarettes and alcohol are marketed towards children? S13) Power T13) What do you think is the proper role of the United States in the world? Do you think that the U.S. has a special role to play in the world or is it just another country? If you think the U.S. should play a special role what should the nature of that role be, global policeman, political leadership, moral example, or something else entirely? If not, how do you think the U.S. should behave? S14) Occupations T14) Is it bothersome to you when people make a lot of money for doing little to nothing? There are people who make thousands of dollars as hand models, is that absurd? How do people find these jobs? What are some other ways to make money that you find shocking? Would you do them if you knew how? S15) Movies T15) What do you think of the U.S. movie rating system? Do you think that it helps or hinders movie makers find their target audience? How do you feel about television ratings such as TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, and TV-MA? Do you think that either of these systems is effective in repelling the viewers that they are attempting to repel? What about the V-chip, that was proposed to block violent programs from young viewers? S16) U.S. Welfare T16) How do you feel about the U.S. Welfare system? Do you think that the system should move farther towards the European end and offer more money to the people who need it, or should the government make it more restrictive in order to motivate those who rely on it to become self-sufficient? S17) Breaking up T17) People say that breaking up is hard to do. Do you agree or disagree? Are some relationships easier to terminate than others? Do you think that the level of difficulty changes with age? S18) Location T18) Which do you prefer, city life, country life or suburban life? How would you describe the community in which you currently reside? If you had to move, what kind of setting would you pick? Why? What are some of your reservations about moving to another mode of life? Describe you dream home in your new area. S19) Justice T19) Our justice system relies heavily on a "jury of our peers." Do you think that it's important for people to serve Jury Duty in order to help protect this element of our justice system? Have you performed Jury Duty? Describe your experience. If you've never served, can you think of any reasons why you were not selected? Do you have any desire to participate in a jury? S20) Memories T20) What is the best thing that has ever happened to you? How has that event shaped you up to now? What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you? How has that event affected your life? What do you think your life would be like without either of these occurrences? S21) Crime T21) Do you feel safe in the community that you live in? Have you ever been a victim of crime or know someone that has? Do you think that we need more police on the street? Do you think that crime stories on the news make us feel less safe then we really are? S22) Violence against women T22) Do you think that women are properly protected under U.S. law from physical violence? What about emotional violence? What are some laws that you think should be instituted or taken away from the current laws in order to justly protect women from spousal or relational abuse? S23) Equality T23) Presently in the U.S., inequalities exist among classes, ages, races and genders. How do you think this problem should be dealt with? Is it something that can be improved, or is it too stably embedded into our societal structure? Do you think that parallels can be drawn between inequalities in the U.S. and global inequalities? S24) Housing T24) Do you own or rent? What con?s and pro?s can you think of owning versus renting? Is there a nationwide housing bubble? Why? Do you think there is a housing bubble in your area? Why? S25) Immigration T25) Should the United States attempt to slow down the rate of immigration? Do you think that immigrants undermine wages, or do immigrants bring needed skills and fresh energy to our economy? Should we let only skilled workers into the country?