Week 10 - Assumptions, Biases, and Possible Solutions

Activity 1 :: Activity 2 :: Activity 3

Introduction

As we discussed in Week 4, biases and assumptions are different but interrelated aspects of a person’s viewpoint and thinking.  Bias literally means to demonstrate a particular partiality or prejudice for or against something.  An assumption is something that is taken for granted.  The two are connected in that a particular bias can bring someone to make certain assumptions.  For example, when Europeans arrived in the Americas, they thought of Native Americans as savages.  By thinking of the first Americans as savages, they assumed their inhumane treatment of them was justified.  At the same time, by assuming they represented a higher civilization, Europeans believed they were improving the lives of savages by imposing on them their way of life.  Most Native Americans thought otherwise.

The issue or problem you are exploring in this domain likely has many defensible answers/solutions. They are questions that are worth debating, and questions that require reasoned judgment. After arriving at two possible solutions, you will want to evaluate those solutions by applying the standards of critical thinking to the implications and consequences of the potential solutions.