VALPO Index | Contact  
   Home : Department of Sociology & Criminology : Hot Topics
  
 

Internships

Each year Valpo Sociology and criminology students are encouraged to participate in any one of a broad number of internship opportunities. For information on past internships click here.

Hot Topics

GhettopolyShould stores be allowed to sell "Ghettopoly"?

In the fall of 2003, Ghettopology, a take-off on the popular board game "Monopoly" was designed and sold throughout the US. The new board game (which is not offically associated with Monopoly or Hasbro - the maker of Monopoly ) was set in the ghetto and included playing pieces such as a prostitute, a machine gun and a malt liquor bottle. The object of part of the game was to put crack houses or project buildings in the worst neighborhoods.

It was designed by a non-African American and some wonder if the black community would be as offended if it had been designed by a popular African American rap artist. Some sociologists point out that the ghetto image has been created and popularized by many rap artists who also receive NCAA image awards.

The larger questions remain - who decides what is offensive? What can be sold/marketed and what cannot? Should stores yield to political pressure when it comes to 'offensive' products?

For more on the topic please go to this link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13839-2003Oct11.html

 



Valpo Additions and corrections for this page may be directed to Web.Coordinator@valpo.edu
Copyright © 1995 - 2003 Valparaiso University. All Rights Reserved.
This page was last updated Thursday, January 13, 2003