PS 1010 Reflective Statement

KDK
What surprised you most as you delved into your particular problem area?
I was most surprised by the astounding number of people who truly do not have access to
health care. I have always had access so I never really thought about it to be a growing
public problem until this semester. I realized how multi-faceted health inequity is and
how difficult it is to solve, which is why it still exists.
Do you plan to continue working on this problem and, if so, how do you plan to go about it?
I will continue volunteering at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor (where I
volunteered for my service hours this semester).
What did you learn from the process of group work, with all its pros and cons?
The positive aspect about group work lies mainly with the fact that there are 4-5 times as
many brains working towards a problem, which brings about different perspectives and
ideas. I enjoyed working with my group on this problem for this reason. It also lessened
the workload.
A con was most probably trying to stay calm and not freaking out if someone hadnt had
their part done earlier in the week. I knew they would have it done by Thursday (the day
of my discussion section) so just trying to understand everyones individual productivity
and workload was a struggle.
How have the skills learned in this project or in the course as a whole relate to other aspects of
your life? Which skills are most applicable?
The concept of power being tied to authority particularly caught my attention. Where
does that power come from and how does an increase an power tend to correlate with
corruption politically (which is why we have the checks and balances system in the
United States). The particular skill of identifying problems, knowing there is some kind
of solution to it, and working towards finding that solution is going to be most helpful in
my life because problems are always present, but it is picking and choosing your battles
thats important.
 PS 1010 Reflective Statement

Dr. Hudson
Think back to the beginning of the semester. Has your involvement in this project changed your
perspective on this issue, and if so in what ways?
I think my perspective stayed constant, just my knowledge on the subject grew
immensely.
What was the most and least valuable experience related to your project this semester? Please
explain.
The most valuable experience was writing the final paper because it brought everything
together and I was able to connect the dots in my head about how the whole semesters
research related to each other and the topic. Volunteering at a hospital was also very
valuable because it allowed me to actually see the problem myself.
On the other hand, the least valuable experience was reading. While it did help with the
journals, relating the readings to the lecture and discussion was difficult sometimes and a
lot of work.
If you had the chance to do this semester over again, what would you do differently related to
your project?
Is there anything from this semester's project-based learning experience that will stay with you?
What is it and why do you feel that way?
Situate your learning this semester in a larger political and social context:
What is a good citizen?
Good is a very general term and thus sparks debate. I believe a good citizen is similar
to a good person in general, or one that follows Mills Harm Principle. Some say that it is
necessary to vote and everything, and while I completely 100% agree voting is a basic
right that we are privileged to have, it is not something that should be forced upon.
What knowledge is needed to be a citizen?
According to the citizenship test that my grandmother recently took, a lot more than I
remember from elementary school.
As you consider this course as part of your own intellectual development, what is your role in the
political sphere?