Macro and Art History assignments and discussions

Macro-Economics
M10. Discussion: Unemployment and Inflation
The Mankiw text covers several types of unemployment, including frictional unemployment
(the time lag for workers to find a job to fit their skills), structural unemployment (when the
number of workers exceeds the number of jobs), and cyclical unemployment (when
unemployment deviates from the natural rate of unemployment).
To complete the Discussion activity, write a post that answers the following questions:
● One type of unemployment the text does not cover is seasonal unemployment.
Research seasonal unemployment and write a discussion post that answers the
following questions:
○ What is seasonal unemployment?
○ Name two jobs that you think would be affected by seasonal
unemployment. Explain why they would be affected.
○ How can seasonal unemployment be alleviated? Should it be
alleviated? Why or why not?

M11. Discussion: Monetary Policy
Monetary policy works to stabilize economic conditions by using three tools to increase or
reduce the money supply: reserve requirements, interest rates, and open market conditions.
Some economists believe that monetary policy is a short-term solution to a long-term
problem, and that people will eventually regret artificially stimulating the economy.
To complete the Discussion activity, write a post that answers the following questions:
● Describe your opinion of the use of monetary policy.
● Do you think it should be used at all? Explain.
● What would be the consequences of eliminating monetary policy, and why?
● What are the long-term consequences of keeping monetary policy? Explain.

M12. Discussion: Cost-Push Inflation and Demand-Pull Inflation
In this module, you have learned that inflation is caused by “bring[ing] money supply and
money demand into balance” (Chapter 21). Two types of inflation not discussed in the text
are cost-push inflation and demand-pull inflation.
To complete the Discussion activity, write a post that answers the following questions:
● Find a video to learn about cost-push inflation and demand-pull inflation:
● Write a discussion post that answers the following questions:
○ Describe each of these two types of inflation.
○ Do you believe that inflation can only be controlled by increasing
productivity? Why or why not?
○ What unique factors in the 1970s era caused widespread inflation?
Explain.
Art History

M10. Discussion: The Iconography of Africa
Each culture has images and objects that are important to them such as ones used in rituals
that have religious or cultural connotations. For the discussion, first research one of the
pieces discussed in the lecture, text, or one you found on your own. Share additional
information that you discover that is not in the lecture or text. Embed the image in your post
and be sure to properly identify it or share a link to the image in your post so that others can
view the image for discussion . Make sure that you post a link to the image or embed the
image and identify it properly. Explain why the piece interests you. This is an opportunity to
learn more about an African culture. It may be the culture of your ancestors and is still active
today.

M10: Assignment 1
African Art Beyond the Continent: Yinka Shonibare
Yinka Shonibare uses history in interesting and provocative ways. In his work, he combines
African and British fashion and thus comments on issues like slavery and colonialism. In this
module, we viewed A Scramble for Africa (2003).
The link below is a film about Shonibare’s work. For this assignment, watch the film
(approximately 1 hour long) and write a 500 word short essay with your thoughts about his
work. Consider the following questions: How does his work connect to Africa? How does he
engage with History and Art History? Do you think he is effective in making his points about
colonialism, history, and race?
Film Link:
https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s5/yinka-shonibare-cbe-in-transformati
on-segment/

M10: Assignment 2
Refer to the “Think About It” section at the end of Chapter 16. Answer ONE of the questions
listed.
Your response must be a minimum of 350 words and must provoke critical thought on the
topic, offering an analysis citing information from the text and your observations of the work.
Consider your question in terms of the themes and issues raised in the chapter.
M11. Discussion: Hogarth’s Manners and Morals
Hogarth’s Manners and Morals
The works of Hogarth have been described as “serious comedy.” Though they elicit a chuckle
from the viewer, they strike a grave tone, such as in the final scene of Marriage a la Mode or
the Rake’s Progress. For this week’s discussion, follow the links below to explore three of
Hogarth’s moralizing series. Choose one and discuss it in light of today’s society. Then
consider how a contemporary artist addresses a societal problem in their work. Post an
example that you find on the internet. Has society changed that much since Hogarth’s time?
● Marriage a la Mode
● (链接到外部网站。)
● – Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/william-hogarth-marriage-a-la-mode
-1-the-marriage-settlement
● A Rake’s Progress
● (链接到外部网站。)
● – Retrieved from
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/britain-18c/b
ritain-ageof-revolution/a/hogarth-a-rakes-progress
● A Harlot’s Progress-
● (链接到外部网站。)
● Retrieved from https://www.rct.uk/collection/811512/a-harlots-progress

M11: Assignment
Refer to the “Think About It” section at the end of Chapter 17. Answer ONE of the questions
listed.
Your response must be a minimum of 350 words and must provoke critical thought on the
topic, offering an analysis citing information from the text and your observations of the work.
Consider your question in terms of the themes and issues raised in the chapter.
M12. Discussion: Photography
In this module, we learned about early experiments with photography. Large cameras, long
exposure times, and various methods led to explorations of a new medium and also revealed
limitations. In the contemporary world, many people have cameras in their cell phones,
giving them universal access to creating pictures with immediacy, precision, and clarity.
People are constantly taking pictures with their phones to capture something in their daily
lives.
The discussion centers around these questions:
What is the impact of photography in terms of the public’s image of reality?
Do we relate to photography in similar or different ways than the people of the past?

M12: Assignment 1
Final Paper
The Final Paper is about an image, object, or example of architecture (of your choice) from
any culture or time period we have studied in this class. The paper is a minimum 1,200
words.
The paper should address the following points:
● Identify the work you have by the correct title, artist, date, medium, culture or
country of origin. Explain why you are choosing the work: why does it interest
you?
● Conduct a formal analysis of the work. This means looking at design elements
such as color, line, texture, and composition. The goal is to summarize what you
see in the painting and provide details about the elements without interpreting the
subject matter.
● Analyze the iconography of the work. What is the subject matter? What does it
mean? Is there symbolism? Describe. How does the iconography contribute to the
meaning of the work?
● Discuss how the object fits into a particular stylistic category. The stylistic
analysis relates the larger historical trends and forces in the culture and how they
influenced the development of the piece. What makes the work look
“Renaissance” or “Baroque” or “Aztec?”
● Provide context by including the theoretical, historical, or social history of the
object, artist, or time period. In summary, look specifically at the artwork’s
relationship to ideas about gender, class, artistic creation, culture, or politics
associated with that time, and how the work is relevant today.