Final Reflective Essay

Through taking this intro to sociology course, the concept that I thought was the most interesting would be the concept of race and racism.  Race is something that society has created.  Race is a biological myth as everyone is truly created equally. There are no differences when it comes to the genetic makeup of individual’s from one ethnic group to the other, which is something that I found to be very surprising.  I do not know why I thought there would be some biological difference between different types of people, maybe because of the media, but I found this fact very interesting.

I found the one drop rule particularly interesting because it states that if you have one family member who was black you are considered to be black even if you don’t look that way.  Skin pigmentation is simply determined by the area in which you live and the type of sunlight you would encounter there.  The idea of race is based on socially selected physical traits.  I always knew that society placed stereotypes on every race but I didn’t know that there was no biological difference between everyone.  Everyone is a part of the same race, which I found to be very enlightening.

With the use of bracketing I held off on my preconceived notions about what I originally thought about race, which enabled me to open up my eyes and see the bigger picture.  Though I did not think that my race (Caucasian) was any better than other races I believed that biologic differences is what separated people from one another.

If everyone is included in the same race I asked myself why there was still racism in society to this day.  Though I have never been racist in my life looking back on things, it is difficult to steer away from the media’s influences on society.  That is where modern day racism, I believe took to a new level.  Racism was originally started years ago.  One example of this is slavery in the United States and I think that to this day some people feel it difficult to shed their preconceived notions about race.  Racism is applying ones race prejudice into action.  Racism occurs because some people feel as though they are superior to someone else.  Which no one should feel like they have the power to do that.

I think that taking this class has really opened my eyes to aspects of society that I have never thought about.  It gave reasons as to why things are the way that they are in society and how certain things would be very difficult to change.  Certain areas of society are the way that they are so that the world can function.  For example, the rich have to be rich and the poor have to be poor.  I now view society and the people who make up society very differently because it is a social construct.  Certain areas of this class I will take and use in my own life as they are a very valuable asset to have.

Video #3- The Stanford Experiment- Dialetic Reading

In this video it discussed what people are capable of when they are put into certain situations.  In the case of this experiment people were chosen to either have the label of a guard or to have the label of a prisoner.  The prisoners where put into cells and the guards were to patrol them and make sure no one got out of line.  The experiment took on a very realistic identity as the guards quickly took on their assigned role as an authority figure and the prisoners took on their role to obey the rules.  Within days the experiment spiraled out of control and had to be shut down before it was actually scheduled to end.  It shows us how society places a stereotype or a role on to a particular career and how that influences the rest of society actions.

 

What question did the video raise?	How did the video answer this question?	How does the answer match our own ideas and experiences?
How do the roles of society affect the citizens living within the norms?	The video answered this question by placing civilians into a new atmosphere.  They assigned roles for each person.  Either a prisoner or a guard.  Quickly everyone played into their roles either by authority or following the rules.  Throughout the next several days the guards become engulfed in the powerful role, subjecting the inmates to do terrible things in turn the inmates began to riot.  The video shows us that people are capable of anything and everything when placed in a high pressure situation like the one they were in.  Although it is not a real prison and they are not real guards or criminals they still became those roles when they put on the appropriate outfits.  People can do anything they set their minds to which means they are capable of good and evil.	I have never personally experienced a situation like the Stanford Prison Experiment and honestly never would want to put myself in that situation.  It surprised me what people will do when they have the power to do it.  If I was in that situation I don’t think I would act like the ones involved but then I have never been in that kind of situation so who am I to say that I wouldn’t.  Power and authority are dangerous things when people abuse it, which, is what eventually happened in the experiment.  The guards took on their roles completely because they were the ones in charge where as the prisoners where a little confused I think at the beginning of what was actually going on.  They still realized that the situation was not real and that these people really are not guards but they were over powered.  I found it very surprising how it escaladed out of control so quickly.  In society I think it has a similar effect.  Police and people with authority are looked to as law makers and you don’t want to break those laws around them.  Even though when they take off their uniform they are on the same ground as you.  It is funny how a uniform can mean so many things.

Video #2- Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a Single Story- Affective Reading

This video is about her life story and about how people have preconceived notions about other people who are different from them.  There is more to someones life then what they lead you to believe and Chimamanda Adichie is saying that you should never assume someone is they way they are until you know the reasons behind it.  For example, society makes us think that there is only one view of African Americans because that is what is displayed for us to see on television.  The media creates how society sees each other, which, for some, is very negative.  A single story means to label someone as one thing and only one thing even though there is so much more to that person then what meets the eye.  Another example is that just because someone writes a book and the African American man is abusive does not mean that every African American man is abusive.  A single story creates stereotypes from one person instead of basing it off of a bigger picture.  Society makes us think about the differences of culture instead of the similarities.  They always look to the negatives.  When we reject the single story we create a new kind of paradise.

I feel: like this is really the situation in society.  We assume and make judgments about people before we really know someone and we make those judgment based on their appearances.

I think:  that it is difficult for someone to steer away from a single story because it is always in the media.  Negative images associated with certain people lead us to believe that all people similar to that person are the same.  When this should not be the case at all.  No one really knows someone until they actually take the time to.

I believe: that there are people out there who realize that society creates these persona’s of different people to have a variety in entertainment.  The same types of people are always assigned to the same roles which starts to stick in peoples minds that this is how they all are in real life.

I know: it will be very difficult to change the views of society.  More people like Chimamanda Adichie need to speak out about their lives to open the views of society because most people probably never think about the bigger picture.

Video #1- Race, the power of an Illusion- Affective Reading

This video was all about race and how people perceive the different races.  Race is a biological myth, it is instead, a social construct.  It is believed that people ascribe the idea of race to biology to find answers as to what separates us from each other.  Some people feel as though certain races have more of an advantage when it comes to things like sports, music and the capacity of the brain, when in fact that is not true at all.  We are genetically not that different and researchers have spent years and years trying to figure out a way in which we are.  There was am extinction theory that stated that because African American people were prone to diseases and everything else that they were just going to die anyway so there was no point in anyone trying to intervene because they were going to die off anyways.  Life originated from Africa, so our race is how we have move and mated.  There is more of a genetic diversity in Africa then anywhere else in the world.  We are all mixed blood.

I feel:  like there was too much focus over the years on color and who is the more superior race.  It is biologically proven that we are all created equal so all of the experiments done to see if the black leg is constructed differently than the white leg seems ridiculous.  This is a day and age and people should stop basing there assumptions on people based on the color of their skin.

I think:  that there needs to be a change in peoples minds about what race really is.  I think that we have attached a persona to the different skin tones that still to this day remains.  Everyone should be treated equally as everyone is biologically created equally.

I believe: that there are too many stereotypes associated with race that have been formed and molded over the many years race has been an issue.  Society created it so therefore society follows those guidelines.  It is almost impossible for someone who is not actively thinking about stereotyping to not stereotype.  This is something that has been ingrained in us since infantry and is something that should be changed.

I know:  that getting rid of the idea of race will probably never happen as it has been going on for forever.  We all need to become aware of race and know that we are all the same.

 

Instructors Articles- The Phantom of the Race: The Myth of Race and the Reality of Racism by Charles Quist-Adade- Affective Reading

The “Phantom of the Race” is about how every individual belongs to the same race but people clump race and racism into the same category.  Biologically we are all apart of the same race, no matter the color of our skin, everyone is similar to another.  Racism though, is how we view people of a different color or ethnicity.  Stereotyping is something we learn at a young age and usually associate things with people colors just because we learn it from someone else.  Even today some people are still discriminatory to others that do not have the same characteristics as they do.

I feel: like people should not look down on others who have differences in appearance.  We are all created equally and therefore should not be treated any different.  People really do have a mis- conceived notion about race because we are ALL the same race.

I think:  that it is truly a sad sight when people can’t grasp that race and racism are too different concepts and when they don’t understand race they in turn become racist towards people who are not like them.

I believe: that it is such a disappointing sight that people in this decade still think like the past.  Some need to realize and recognize that we are all the same and no one should be treated differently.

I know:  that some people feel as though ‘white people’ are seem as being the most racist because throughout history there has been many instances where that theory has been proven right.  But from my personal experiences all groups of people can been seen as racist towards others therefore we shouldn’t single anyone out.  I know that destroying the idea of racism will never been done but it is something that we all need to become aware of.

 

 

Instructors Articles- Who Will Liberate Liberia? by Charles Quist-Adade- Dialetic Reading

In “Who Will Liberate Liberia?” it discusses how so much money was wasted on the war for peace in Iraq while so many other countries where in need.  The United States focused all their energy on power instead of what is the right thing to do.  People need to stop thinking about themselves and start to think about what is right for the world as a whole.

What did this text/chapter raise?	How did the text answer this question?	How does the answer match our own ideas and experiences?
Why does the United States focus all their money and power to ‘create peace’ when many countries are in need of help?	This article answered this question by explaining where the money in the United States is going.  They spent 4 million dollars every month on the war in Iraq when that could have supported so many third world countries with starving children.  You can tell that there were other underlining issues causing the states to be situated in Iraq for so long and that is so clearly related to the amount of oil that is there.  This shows that the US only worries about themselves and everyone else just gets in the way of their final goal.  It is peace at all costs even if that means other countries lives are put in jeopardy.  Money and power are all that matters not the health and wellness of others.	I didn’t know the exact numbers in how much it was costing the United States to be in Iraq but I figured it was a lot.  It seems crazy to me that they would infiltrate Iraq when they didn’t want the help in the first place.  They only ended up killing innocent men, women and children as well as killing some of their soldiers along with some of ours.  Seems like a pointless thing to die for.  Trying to kill the ‘suspected’ terrorist that took part in the bombing of the twin towers.  Of course every country wants themselves to benefit and grow but at what cost if there are other countries lives at risk.  Why would a country as powerful as the United States not want to use that power for good instead of evil?  Two wrongs don’t make a right and President Bush should have realized that before he dispatched troops into Iraq.  It was a senseless fight about nothing but power.  So many men and women were taken away from their families to fight against terrorism but what really did they do out there?  I don’t know a lot about this issue but I feel as though if something with a big impact happened to the world I would hear about it on the news, instead I just heard about all of the deaths.

Instructors Articles- September 11: Forgiveness is not part of the lessons learned by Charles Quist-Adade: Paraphrastic Reading

In “September 11: Forgiveness is not part of the Lessons Learned,” Charles Quist-Adade discusses how George W. Bush focuses all his energy on hatred and anger instead of forgiveness.  Bush wanted revenge on many countries causing distress for those countries instead of just letting it go.  So many senseless things have happened over the course of history that were because caused by revenge.  As well as the many bad things that  have happened to African people because of North America, but they never retaliated against America, they forgave and forgot.  The war on terrorism was Bush’s excuse to seek justice but that was a cover to fight with other countries to show their power over everyone else.  No act of war is ever the right thing to do.  It only affects innocent people and their families.  September 11th is one of those instances but the retaliation against Iraq and against Al-Qaeda was just as bad.

“Of all the lessons learned in the wake of September 11, forgiveness does not figure prominently in Bush country.  Listening to the speeches and interviews by US President George W. Bush and his team, sorting through the countless op-ed articles, commentaries, and editorials of leading politicians, opinion leaders and spin doctors in the US one year after the heinous terrorist attack on New York and Washington, the word “forgiveness” appears to be a scare commodity.  Instead, both politicians and the media appealed to the worst human instincts-nationalist hatred and lust for retaliation.  And this is “God’s own country! Jesus Christ’s admonition to his followers “to turn the other cheek” has apparently been replaced with the Law of Moses: “an eye for an eye.”  “Bush and Blair, you’re supposed to be Christians,” shouted the rightwing commentator during a televised debate in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

I think that this is a very important paragraph because it shows through examples that George Bush was out for revenge.  It was terrible what happened in New York but the Americans are no better then the terrorists.  They too are attacking another country just because those people attacked theirs.  We learn as children “do unto others as you would have them” and clearly that is not where their mind sets are at.  As well as “two wrongs do not make a right”  which is very true in this case because nothing good has come out of the attacks on Iraq as many women, children and men have died innocently to the violence.

 

Instuctors Articles- Negotiation, not Retribution by Charles Quist-Adade: Affective Reading

This article, Negotiation, not Retribution, is about how there is a clear difference between what is the main focus of the westerners and how they are not thinking with the right frame of mind.  Everyday hundreds upon thousands of people are dying in the poor third world countries but no one really thinks about how we can change that.  Instead the west is worried about military and who they can take revenge on for certain terrorist attacks that have happened over the past few years.  Don’t get me wrong, these terrorist attacks were a serious ordeal and many people lives were affected by this in a very negative way but compare that to the millions that have died from our efforts in creating ‘peace’ is very minor.  It hits us here more though because it takes place so close to home where as we are not so closely related to those third world countries so  we don’t take a second thought about that.

I feel: like more should be done to help these countries that does not involve violence.  We need to realize what is happening on a more global scale instead of just what is happening close to home because we too are affected by what is going on across the ocean.  Instead of just ignoring what is going on we need to start to be aware.

I think: that we should take a serious look at what our countries are doing to either fix the problem or ignore the problem and only look at what is in the best interest to us.  We are in this world together and should work to make everyone feel safe.

I believe: that with help from many different sources we can work to fix this problem instead of fighting the problem.

I know:  I know that to change the current situation of the countries involved is a very unrealistic idea.  It would take years upon years to get everyone thinking on the same level but I know that it is something that cannot be ignored.

Participation

On February 6th we discussed our coolest concept of the week and I mention to the class that I chose the conflict theory.  I talked about how there is a factory that builds electronics for the Apple company.  The conflict theory is a system that is made up of conflicting groups mostly between the capitalist class and the working class.  In the case of the article, I found that the working class in this factory is exploited by minimal pay and long hours without any benefits while the capitalist class reaps all the benefits, by making a lot of money and only having to give up a small portion of that to its workers.  It is a constant cycle because the workers need to work so they can survive and are willing to put themselves into those types of situations, therefore allowing the higher class to give out that type of treatment.

“Social Justice Issues in Local and Global Contexts” By Charles Quist-Adade- Affective

Chapter 7 is about the economic theories of social justice.  Social justice has to do with the economic theories as in there has to be production, distribution and consumption of resources for a society to operate.  Economic justice focuses on groups as well as individuals for the creation of conditions that are best suited to produce, distribute and consume certain goods and services that aid society fairly.  As well as giving an individual agency, meaning having a free mind and spirit.  There are three distinct principles that make up economic justice and these include: The principle of participation, the principle of distribution and the principle of harmony.  On the other hand capitalism is a theory that is based upon the idea that only the strong will survive.  It is about self-interest and the pursuit of profit for oneself instead of looking at the bigger picture.  This only benefits those that have the money to obtain these certain things.  Through Laissez-faire principle (government stays out of economic business), the Mini-Max theory (where people seek to maximize their profit and try to minimize the losses, the individual rights principle, limited government principle, private property principle, and the competition principle, the economic justice is sustained.  On the other hand, socialism is a way of controlling goods and services through a central government.  Socialism is a way of trying to gain equality and fair distribution of what society values to be important.

I feel: like this is a very accurate description of what goes on in society.  Everyone is solely thinking of themselves and how they can prosper in the long run.  Especially is a communist country capitalism is a big thing, which makes it sad to see how a country can just leave their weakest links behind so that they can get ahead.

I think: that capitalism should be the ways of the past.  For some though, it is hard for people to think of others and how they could possibly effect them for the better.  If they got out of this frame of mind that would be possible for them to do.  I think that even though socialism is still government run or controlled it is a way of making every body have equal opportunity to push ahead instead of being stuck in the same on going battle of survival.

I believe: that everyone should have equal opportunity to prosper.  The rich should not be able to exploit the poor just because they feel they have a right to do so.  Without the poor the rich would not be able to stand where they do so they should be thankful and giving.  Although that is something that will likely never happen because the capitalist class likes to feel that kind of power and control over people.

I know: that some countries are still in this type of struggle like Cuba and North Korea.  There is a constant fight for power and control which the capitalist class is ruling by exploiting the working class.  I know that I am lucky to live in Canada where there is more equality and a fair and just system which distributes the goods and services so everyone has an opportunity to use them for their needs.