There were two main concepts I found very enlightening throughout the semester, they are bracketing and obvious. In the beginning of the semester, I will admit I would discriminate towards certain minorities in Canada but as we went through and spoke about bracketing and obvious concepts I began to understand more. Bracketing helped me to understand for new thoughts to flow into my head that I must suspend any preconceived notions for the new information to enter. Although it is difficult to do, by putting it into an academic concept, I was able to do this quite easily. As for obvious, by looking beneath the surface, it helped me to understand that the way I was thinking before was superficial. Further more, it helped me to acknowledge this was not the type of person I wanted to become so instead I pride myself on getting to know people before making any judgements. This has further helped me in my studies of criminology allowing me to freely discuss topics without judging what a topic/concept is before learning it. I feel that by taking sociology, it has altered the way I think about everything.
As for my preconceived notions of sociology, I first believed the discipline was pointless to be frank. I exhibited signs of racism at times as well as discrimination against particular individuals. I did not understand there are so many factors in the way society reacts to particular situations. I have further come to understand that because of sociology my sociological imagination has been permanently altered (for the better). It has helped me understand the constraints put on certain individuals in society (for example ex-convicts) and want to make a change to better our society. Because of all the concepts learned in class, I feel that although I have only begun to understand the discipline even though there is much more to learn.
As for putting the information into context, I find it comical that what I once though of as a baby shower, a bride, a ring, etc I now think of in greater context. I am now able to see the symbolism present in everyday rituals as well as special occasions like graduations and degrees. I feel that by taking this class, it has begun to open the door to allow much more new information in and that without this process, my critical thinking abilities would have only gone so far. I now know more and am forever grateful for Dr. Quist-Adade for taking the time to make sure our class understood definitions and concepts. Without his patience and understanding I most likely would have given up on wanting to learn new ways of thinking.
This video involved 2 social tests: one pick a picketer picketing on the sidewalk with blank signs and the second with one of three children given an icecream cone.
The first test: in the case of the blank picketer, he was giving out blank pieces of paper and asking others walking by to help him picket. Indivudals were first confused on what he was picketing, but after constantly asking them to help him and ignoring their questions, the majority of people eventually gave up and helped him picket. This notes that eventually we all conform to what others in society want us to be like.
The second test: randomly one child was given an icecream cone while the two others recieved nothing. The child who recieved the cone felt in power and control over the others in the group. The two others started asking for a lick, eventually using psychology to gain their way into having some icecream. After being extremely friendly and saying things they knew the child with the cone would like, they were able to recieve some icecream.
Both of these tests proved that one keeps control of the situation and does not show a movement in thought, others will conform to their idea of what is allowed or normal. Because others want to fit in so desperatly, they are willing to go above and beyond what is normal to recieve notice or approval from others.
Purpose of the video: difference between racism in Russia and Canada
Racism in Russia is not subtle but more blunt for everyone to see. Minorities are treated as less including the children of mixed heritage. Children look early on they are not valued in Russia, are bullied, abused (bit, spit on, scremed at, etc).
The racism against minorities begins at infancy when in daycare programs. Racism continues on through life, in elementary to high school where the children are not allowed onto national teams because of their race.
Appears as though Russia is trying to create a “white only” environment, almost as if going bakc in time the way Canada and America was in the 1920′s.
It is important to note that the racism that occurs in Russia is government operated and controlled. The government denies parent’s of africian heritage visa’s to leave the country forcing them to stay with their children in unsafe environments. The government informs citizens they are the happiest in the world, yet the facism and strong racism occurs in open public areas as well as in secrecy.
Note: Socialization and racism are incompatible. Russians are forced to say racism no longer exists when it is evident it does. Killings are occuring because of racism.
The task of the video was to have white people experience racism how minorities experience it but for 3 hours. Participants were seperated so that blue-eyed individuals were placed in one group with the minorities in another. they were then brought into the room and talked down upon.
The blue-eyed individuals (white individuals) immediately adjust the environment to fit their needs. Wanted to be incontrol of the environment.
For those part of the minority group, they stated the racism occurs from childhood into adulthood and beyond. When the racism occurs frojm a young age, they individuals with eventually become what they hear and give up on life.
The more subtle racism is the worse and harder to identify as well as address.
Society is dominated by white males which creates the win/lose environment. Men are more stubborn and harder to make understand when doing something wrong as addressed in the video. The women were more understand and could quickly address what they were doing wrong while the men refused to acknowledge they did anything wrong. This in turn is what our society becomes, giving negative attention to those that do not fit the while male mold.
If there is no biological difference between “races”, how are the physiological appearances evident?
The physical appearances are evident depending on the culture and location from which you live. For example, a darker toned individual living in a more tropical environment would only have a darker skin tone because he/she is living closer to the equator with higher levels of sun, thus changing his skin tone over time giving a darker appearance. Other physiological differences are developed over time, naturally, as a survival mechanism to help that individual adapt to the environment. If individuals living closer to the equator did not have this survival mechanism, they would result in devloping different forms of skin cancer and other diseases. Thus, by developing these physiological traits, the individual is able to adapt and survive depending on where he/she lives. This goes the same for an individual living farther away from the equator, recieving less sunlight. Without these adaptations being present, the human race would simply die off if living too close or too far away from the equator.
Although the answer makes sense, I seem to feel as though it should involve a more complex answer. I am aware of the saying “the most simple answer is the best answer” but in a word becoming ever more complex, I feel as though the way the physiological traits adapt should involve some sort of complex modification in the biology of the individual. The answer does make sense, although I seem to wonder if the human race could adapt that quickly or would it happen over multiple decades? For example, if a person from Canada (living in Alberta or Ontario), farther away from the equator were to move to Nigeria or another country closer to the equator line, would they be able to adapt quickly enough to their new environment or would that proccess have to occur through multiple generations? Although the answer is simple, it seems to bring more questions than comments for myself anyways. As for the biological traits, I wonder if there are specific differences between races, just none that we have found yet. I ponder this, not for the reason some might think (that being negative) but for a more inquisitive cause.
It costs $4 billion a month for the USA to go to war on Iraq in the effort to kill Saddam Hussein and have control over their oil supply. The total projected cost of attacking Iraq is $200 billion. The true questions: Why go after someone for something they may have done with no actual proof? Why spend $200 billion when there are 1.5 million in poverty, unable to survive around the world? The answer: greed and “war and peace”. As the article states “peace at all costs!” lead by the Bush Administration (Lecture Notes, Dr. Charles Quist-Adade, p.88). They only saw what they truly wanted all along, not the truth but the information needed to go ahead with war. The administration chose to ‘help Iraq’ but not Liberia who truly needed help all along, instead they only provided logistical support. The Bush administration believes that Liberian’s and African’s should help themselves and liberate Liberia. This is an impossible task especially when a third world country can’t do it all alone. While the rich get richer (America), the poor suffer unforeseeable consequences (Liberia).
Five sentence segment to paraphrase: “It makes perfect sense because, in the world according to George Bush, if we want peace we must prepare for war, no matter the cost. It does not matter if the cost of war is higher than the price of peace. It does not matter if victory over Saddam-Hussein turns out to be a pyrrhic victory. Peace at all costs! It does not matter if just one-tenth of the amount of the cost of war in Iraq would be enough to feed half of the world’s starving children!”
Paraphrase: According to George Bush, if we want peace we must go to war, whatever the cost may be, even if higher than peace. It doesn’t matter if the victory comes at a devastating cost. Peace no matter what! Even if a small portion of the $200 billion used could feed half the world’s starving children.
I chose to paraphrase this five sentence segment because I fee these five sentences put it all in perspective. Simply by reading it, I was able to see how much the US spent and how little they could spend to help starving children and families around the world. World poverty could end; no child would have to have a slow and painful death by starvation or lack of nutrition. If only American’s could see and understand this instead of just reading without acknowledging what they read. Hopefully this helps to put it in perspective for others.
The article has two main concepts: forgiveness and revenge. Forgiveness or a lack there of is spoken about in the article, mainly in the forms of not producing it. It is put into context with the different governments and races around the world. Africans were once forced into slavery and thought of as less, yet once they were able to break free and rejoice, did they never think of attacking those that once whipped, tortured and killed them. Yet when other people from different countries or even countries themselves are attacked, instead of reflecting and asking why, they attack and “defend” themselves, in other words they want revenge. Revenge can mean many things, but it was put into context on September 11. When the USA was attacked, nomatter who from, they decided to “defend” their country and citizens and attack who they thoughtwhere the cause of it. Some speculate, as in the article, that the Bush administration was mainly wanting revenge, not to help their people most past but to attack someone for something they did. Instead of looking deeper and forgiving, not necessarily forgetting but forgiving the act, they could in turn continue on with life and heal their broken hearts. Instead, to this day, many American’s are still angry, bitter and want more people to pay.
After reading the article, I feel that it helps myself have a better understanding of why we do the things we do. When you think about it, the immediate reactions we possess are not always correct after a situation or incident occurs. I feel that this article forces us to look at ourselves closer and try to have more peace in our minds and heart instead of hatred and fear.
I think this article did a great job at illustrating we need more forgiveness for others. Without forgiveness, we will continue to be angry and bitter for things of the past. We must forgive and try to forget, but most importantly forgive for the sake of humanity. Just like it said in the article no one life is more valuable than the next, if this is true, why would the Bush aministration kill innocent women and children in Iraq? I think it forces us to see exactly where the US priorities are.
I believe after reading this article, humanity will never continue to gain momentum. In a world that’s ever changing, there will be few that truly want peace and respect for others, but I believe this will never happen unless those in power with the revenge mindset are taken out and replaced with more anti-war and informed politicans.
I know revenge as stated in the article, is an evil which most will crave. Forgiveness is not in mosts vocabulary and appears to be a rare commodity now a days. I know it would take some kind of miracle for people to understand one life is not more precious than the next, but in a world all about “me”, this is far possiblity.
