Academic disciplines commonly researched for English 101's Professional Communities Unit are listed below, with prominent scholarly associations, and some suggested topics for research.

American Anthropological Association
http://www.aaanet.org/

Society for American Archeology
http://www.saa.org/

Issues:

• Based on anthropological findings, what historically has been the relationship between the environment and human adaptation?
• An anthropologist studies a particular culture through ethnographic fieldwork, where the ethnographer closely examines a culture as both participant and observer. What ethical rules should guide ethnographers? When might these guidelines conflict with the need for accurate fieldwork?
• How does culture affect our understanding of human rights and the development of universal human rights?

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College Art Association
http://www.collegeart.org/

Issues:

• Whose responsibility is it to preserve cultural artifacts during times of war? (see the College Art Association's alert regarding the looting and destruction of Iraq's National Museum and National Library.)
• Deaccessioning artwork: what are the positive and negative aspects of deaccessioning, and why is it such a contentious topic in the art world?
• How can the principles involved in green building and sustainable design inform historic preservation?

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Biomedical Engineering Society
http://www.bmes.org/

International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering
http://www.ipem.ac.uk/ifmbe_ngen_public/

Issues:

• What is the current progress regarding repairing and restoring soft tissue?
• What potential medical uses are possible with nanotechnology?
• What is the latest research concerning prosthetic heart valves? Are there any issues or controversies concerning the use of mechanical valves or bioprosthetic valves?

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American Institute of Biological Sciences
http://www.aibs.org/home/index.html

American Society for Microbiology
http://www.asm.org/

Issues:

• How does coastal development and tourism affect marine biodiversity?
• Does an individual's gender have an affect on their ability to successfully study science and mathematics?
• Wolf conservation and recolonization: what has been the impact in areas where wolf populations have been increasing?

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American Chemical Society
http://portal.acs.org/

Issues:

• How are isoscapes transforming our ability to track the geographic origin of food, animals, crime scenes, and more?
• Are biofuels the answer to our sustainable energy dilemma?
• Safety of nanoparticles in food crops

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American Planning Association
http://www.planning.org/

Issues:

• Planning in delta and coastal regions
• Complete streets and transit oriented development
• How can cities and neighborhoods effectively plan for natural disasters and other emergencies?
• Sustainable communities: how are they created and what's the best way to assist communities that lack the skills and resources to become sustainable?

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American Communication Association
http://www.americancomm.org/

Public Relations Society of America
http://www.prsa.org/

Issues:

• How have emerging technologies affected the political landscape in the U.S. and abroad? For example, mobile phones, PDA's, email, and instant messaging.
• What constitutes ethical and/or effective internet-based marketing? For example, email spam, pop-up ads, manipulating search engine results.
• Political cynicism and political involvement

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American Society for Information Science and Technology
http://www.asis.org/

Association of Computing Machinery
http://www.acm.org/

Issues:

• Should there be a national identity card system?
• Is a face recognition system ready to use for airport security? Does it violate the right to privacy? Are current systems accurate enough to be useful in security?
• Moore's Law, which predicts the increasing capability of integrated circuit chips, has held true since declared in 1965. How long can it hold? What technologies allow for its future validity?

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American Economics Association
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AEA/

Issues:

• Does government spending stimulate the economy?
• In the U.S. or in the world, is the gap between the incomes of the very rich and the very poor widening? If so, what should be done about the disparity?
• What is the effect of a parent's schooling on their child's schooling? Is a person more likely or less likely to attend and/or graduate college if their parents attended and/or graduated?
• Are more economic regulations necessary for banks, insurance companies, etc? Or does less regulation promote more competition? How "free" should the free market be?
• Can the American health care system be reformed and still retain a high quality of patient care?

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National Association of Independent Schools
http://www.nais.org/

National Education Association
http://www.nea.org/

Issues:

• Do charter schools perform better than traditional schools? Are charter schools scalable?
• What is the effect on children when schools cut after-school programs and arts classes?
• Should schools practice "social promotion" or should students who do not meet end-of-grade requirements be held back? Should the grade level and age of the child be a factor in this decision?
• Are minorities underrepresented in charter schools? What does the data say about segregation and charter schools?
• Is higher education becoming more unaffordable? If so, what changes would make it more accessible?
• Do zero-tolerance policies make schools safer?
• How can alternative schools best serve at-risk students?

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Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
http://www.aeesp.org/

Marine Technology Society
http://www.mtsociety.org/

American Geological Institute
http://www.agiweb.org/

Issues:

• The role of geology in climate change or global warming.
• Should more be done to protect endangered species?
• What are the factors that determine how bacteria will respond to oil spills?
• Does hydraulic fracturing (fracking) contaminate groundwater?
• How is ocean acidification affecting marine organisms and ecosystems?
• What alternatives to pesticides used for crops exist, and can they feasibly be employed for large-scale crop production?

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American Public Health Association
http://www.apha.org/

Issues:

• Why are the numbers of type 2 Diabetes cases increasing?
• How should professionals respond to the next global pandemic? What can professionals learn from the response to the H1N1 virus (also known as Swine Flu)?
• Antibiotic resistance is on the rise. Should antibiotics be used sparingly amongst both humans and livestock? What new strategies could increase the effectiveness of antibiotics?

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American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
http://www.amssm.org/

Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology
http://appliedsportpsych.org/

American Physical Therapy Association
http://www.apta.org/

National Athletic Trainers' Association
http://www.nata.org/

Issues:

• Is there such a thing as overtraining syndrome?
• How can physical education in public schools best combat the epidemic of childhood obesity?
• What is the best course of action for keeping young athletes (high school or college, for example) properly hydrated, to avoid dehydration, heat stroke, or hyponatremia.? Should they drink only water? Sports drinks? How much? When?

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American Academy of Forensic Science
http://www.aafs.org/

American Academy of Forensic Science's Young Forensic Scientists' Forum
http://www.aafs.org/yfsf/

Issues:

• Is DNA fingerprinting a reliable forensic tool?
• What are the most accurate methods of determining time of death?
• Forensic science related exonerations have increased dramatically in recent years. Do these exonerations bring into question the reliability of forensic evidence? Has forensic science become more reliable over time? What can forensic scientists do in order to prevent these mistakes?

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American Genetic Association
http://www.theaga.org/

Issues:

• In which areas of research has gene therapy proven effective, and what are the implications for future research?
• The relatively new procedure preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) allows couples to have embryos screened for genetic abnormalities (or for stem-cell matching for a sibling) before implantation, but its use raises numerous ethical questions.
• Should "designer babies" be regulated? Is the concept of a designer baby unethical?
• How does our ability to map genomes affect animal conservation? What are the ethical issues that arise with this possibility?

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Association of American Geographers
http://www.aag.org/

American Geographical Society
http://www.amergeog.org/

Issues:

• How do professional and college sports affect the character and identity of a place?
• What are the limitations and benefits of the growing use of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) among geographers?

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American Historical Association
http://www.historians.org/

Issues:

• Is revisionist history a consciously falsified or distorted interpretation of the past to serve partisan or ideological purposes in the present or is it a more valid and holistic approach to past oversights in historical scholarship?
• Should the Archivist of the United States (trusted with maintaining the integrity of and the public access to the historical documents of the federal government) be a politically appointed position?
• Current educational and historical theory encourages the use of primary documents in teaching history in the schools, yet most schools continue to use textbooks (secondary sources) instead. What are the benefits and disadvantages of these approaches, and how can public schools better educate students regarding history?

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National Women’s Studies Association
http://www.nwsa.org/

National Association of African American Studies and Affiliates (including Native American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Hispanic and Latino Studies)
http://www.naaas.org/

National Council for Black Studies
http://www.ncbsonline.org/

American Studies Crossroads Project
http://crossroads.georgetown.edu/

Issues:

• Should interdisciplinary studies be separate from other traditional disciplines? Does a history of repression create a need for special attention and create unique problems not able to be addressed in traditional disciplinary departments? Or does this separation create a new form of segregation, perhaps letting the traditional disciplines continue to ignore (for example) African-American history or women’s literature?
• What defines the scope of Women’s Studies or African-American Studies (etc.)?
• Universities have offered courses, minors, and majors in interdisciplinary cultural studies of underrepresented or minority groups (such as women, Native Americans, etc.) for many years. Some schools have more recently introduced similar opportunities such as “White Studies” and “Men’s Studies.” Is this appropriate and/or necessary?

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Latin American Studies Association
http://lasa.international.pitt.edu/

African Studies Association
http://www.africanstudies.org/

Association for Asian Studies
http://www.aasianst.org/

Middle East Studies Association
http://mesa.wns.ccit.arizona.edu/

University Association for Contemporary European Studies
http://www.uaces.org/

Issues:

• How can the United States gain a more objective perspective of how it is perceived by other countries?
• Should colleges require or encourage (through subsidies or other means) student study abroad?
• What degree of fluency in a foreign language should colleges require of their graduates? Should it depend on the major?
• Are current globalization efforts beneficial to developing nations?

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Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.
http://www.ire.org/

National Association of Broadcasters
http://www.nab.org/

Society for Professional Journalists
http://www.spj.org/

Issues:

• Most states grant reporters the privilege of not having to disclose their sources. Reporters aren't protected under federal law and can be compelled to disclose sources or face jail time. Should reporters be protected? Would the proposed Free Flow of Information Act truly protect reporters at the federal level?
• Are blogs a source of real journalistic content or should they be regarded as something else?
• Should congress place restrictions on marketing and advertising content because of issues like childhood obesity and alcohol abuse?

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American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
http://www.actfl.org/

Modern Language Association of America
http://www.mla.org/

Linguistic Society of America
http://www.lsadc.org/

Issues:

• Should language be studied as a fixed or adaptive phenomenon? In other words, should the study of grammar and word usage preserve language rules or should it reflect the way language users speak and write? For example, regional dialects and ebonics.
• How should foreign languages be taught? Should public school curricula require foreign language study? At what age should it begin?
• Are linguistic structures innate to humans (as structural linguists argue) or are they learned?
• How can language erosion be prevented?
• How should dead languages be preserved?

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American Bar Association
http://www.abanet.org/

Issues:

• What are the constitutional rights of detainees held in a time of war? What difference does it make if they are U.S. citizens, citizens of U.S. allies, or citizens of enemy states?
• Are parts of the USA PATRIOT Act unconstitutional?
• Does "tort reform" offer a chance to reign in absurd jury settlements that raise health care costs, or does it threaten the citizen's only defense against doctor malfeasance?
• Should there be a bigger effort to increase government transparency? Is there a legitimate case for keeping certain activities secret?

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American Comparative Literature Association
http://www.acla.org/

Modern Language Association of America
http://www.mla.org/

Issues:

• What is the canon of classic literature and who decides what is included? Should authors ignored in their time for cultural reasons be re-inserted into what are considered “the classics”?
• How should literature be taught in schools? Should teachers emphasize a book's connection to history or culture? Or should English classes focus on close readings to find meaning within a work of literature (a formalist approach)?
• Is there inherent value in reading--reading anything, including comic books, romance novels, and other popular literature? Should teachers, professors, and librarians encourage any reading at all, or should readers be encouraged to read more "quality" literature?
• Over the past few years, the number of people who read for pleasure has dropped steadily. Are we experiencing a literacy crisis?

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American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org/

American Nurses Association
http://www.nursingworld.org/

Issues:

• Should resident physician work hours be limited?
• Should physicians be required to disclose health information to the parents of minors? Should exceptions be granted for sexual health issues or in other cases?
• Should some vaccines be mandatory for specific populations? For example, should the flu vaccine be mandatory for health care workers, or should the HPV vaccine be mandatory for young girls?
• The nursing shortage in the United States: what solutions have been proposed, and are they viable?

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American Musicological Society
http://www.ams-net.org/

International Foundation for Music Research
http://www.music-research.org/

National Association for Music Education
http://www.menc.org/

Issues:

• Does the study of music (through the playing of instruments, listening to classical music, or other activities) have a significant effect on intelligence? Is this effect more pronounced at certain ages?
• How can unique musical traditions be preserved when the culture that produces it disappears or is diluted by mainstream cultures? (for example, Appalachian musical styles)
• How do (or should) copyright laws affect "traditional" musical styles such as the blues, where songs have evolved through multiple artists' renditions or where music was recorded as field recordings? Who should receive royalties, and who is responsible for finding the recipients of these royalties? See the Music Maker Foundation for more information on this issue.
• Is it possible and practical to create a database that allows a person to search for a piece of music by humming, playing keys, or otherwise use non-language cues? In other words, can there be systems that allow you to search for a song if you can't remember the title, composer, or any other information about it other than the melody?

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American Philosophical Association
http://www.apaonline.org/

American Academy of Religion
http://www.aarweb.org/

Issues:

• Are the studies of philosophy and religion relevant to a liberal arts education?
• Should classes in these disciplines be taught as service-learning courses to find real-world applications, or is there inherent value in discussions of ethics?

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American Physical Society
http://www.aps.org/

Issues:

• What is "dark energy?" What evidence do we have that it exists? Are there competing explanations for the available evidence?
• Why are nanotubes the hot topic in physics? What are they, what do we know about them, and what use are they?
• Many ideas long popular in science fiction, such as parallel universes, time travel, and teleporting, have received serious scientific attention. Are these actually possible?
• How do quantum computers work, and will useful prototypes exist in the near future?
• How do we know how old the universe is? Why is there some controversy over the age? What are the main methods by which the age is determined?
  

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American Political Science Association
http://apsanet.org/

Issues:

• Why are there fewer women than men in elected political positions in the U.S.? Is it a reluctance among women to enter politics or a reluctance among voters to elect women? Is this inequity a significant problem for U.S. democracy?
• What factors influence youth civic engagement?
• Does class inequality affect political participation?
• In countries that have strong two-party systems, are third-party candidates viable? What impact do third parties have?

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Association: American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org/

Issues:

• How does income affect happiness?
• Is cognitive behavior therapy in conjunction with medication more effective than either cognitive behavior therapy or medication alone?
• Is there a relationship between low empathy and bullying?
• What sort of treatments are available for combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder?

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National Association of Social Workers
http://www.socialworkers.org/

American School Counselor Association
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/

Issues:

• What effects does immigration detention have on children and families?
• What can schools and school counselors do to help prevent bullying in schools?
• What characteristics in children and placements are good predictors for exit out of the foster system into a permanent situation, such as adoption or guardianship?
• How can social workers support a nursing home as it adopts a palliative care philosophy?

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American Sociological Association
http://www.asanet.org/

Issues:

• How are communities with a significant military population affected by deployment?
• How do the friendship and dating networks of teens affect how they acquire information about drugs, alcohol, contraceptives, etc.?
• Why do marginalized individuals sometimes choose to operate outside ingrained social structures, institutions, and norms?
• How have childrearing practices changed in the United States over the last half-century?
• Consider social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Do these sites play a major role in the construction of an individual's identity? Do they affect one's ability to create valuable social connections? Is online networking a form of social capital?

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Contact:
Suchi Mohanty
(smohanty@email.unc.edu)
(919) 962-1355