-Watching Tim Wise's videos was interesting. He made many good points on how racism still exist's today and that unless people of color are "medicore" as white people, than racism and inequailty will always exist. He also references to Brown vs. board and how it may have stopped inequailty, but it did not stop racism and racism is still a factor in today's society, which is in a way making people of color unequal. Wise also ties in Baraka Obama with racism still existing. He explains just because we have a black president, does not mean that racism has stopped. It does not mean that black people have easier lives all of a sudden and doesn not mean that people who are racist repect him.
-There are few colored people who are repescted as a higher authority, and everything about them says SCWAAMP except for their skin color. Obama for example lives by the "white power" laws. He lives in an upscale neighborhood, speaks "proper" language, is straight and married, is a male, is in the higher bracket of economic status and is able-bodied. This plays a huge role in why we except these people of color as higher authorities. I Took a class in highschool about african americans and we learned a lot about Obama and why people would vote for him. A reason we discussed is that even though he is african american, his skin is very light compared to what people envision when they think "black". I think that this is a small part in it but I think it does play a role in it.
Since I took the african american history class, I also learned a lot about Brown Vs. Board. We dd whole units on such events as this, that were seen as a turning point in african history. I agree with Tim about this subject in how it ended segregation but not racism. My dad is probably a good example of this. He grew up in the 50's when segregation was going on, and to this day my father is still racist. We have fights over dinner about racism issues and I don't blame him for his beliefs even though I think he is wrong, it is just how he was brought up and what he told was the right thing to feel.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thinking Points #6 Wise
1. "Once again, white preference remains hidden because it is more subtle, more ingrained and isn't called white preference, even if thats the effect."
This quote is following the paragraphs about Michigan and how it awards points to different groups of people. It awards 16 points to students who are form the upper peninsula from Michigan. This area however, is mostly white. The quote is talking about how when anger is risen from this topic, it is always about the minorities revieving an upper hand with getting points; and what epople don't realize is that white people are getting an upper hand also. The reason people don't get angry about this is because it isn't "advertised". Whites aren't getting points because their application has a check mark next to the white box, but because they give points to areas where white people make up the majority. White preference is hidden, and even ignored because it has "power".
2. "Very telling is the oft-heard comment by whites, 'if only I were black, I would have gotten into my first choice college.'"
When I read this part I was amazed. I can't believe that white students actually believe this. I know that white priviledge isn't acknowledged, but to think that you didn't get into a school because someone who applied was black and had gotten in over you is rediculous. Whites have the highest chance of getting into college over any other race that applies. The reason this students probably don't get in because they didn't meet the schools criteria. I also like how Wise explains that not only does the quote state that the student didn't get in because they lost their spot to someone of color, but it also indicates that the white student doesn't believe that they would have any negative effects on their life if they switched their race. As if their life would stay exactly the same except for getting into the school.
3. "ask a fish what water is and you'll get no answer. Even if fish were capable of speech, they would likely have no explanation for the element they live in every minute of every day of thier lives. Water simply is. Fish take it for granted."
I really liked this quote that Wise put in when I read this. I thought it was a great comparison for the white priviledge. It tells exactly what it would be like to ask a white person about white priviledge. They would most likely have nothing to say about it because they don't really realize it is there. It reminded me of the McIntosh article we read and how everyone in class and even she didn't realize how much white priviledge we have in everyday life until she wrote it down. It sad that how so much power whites have because of their color, isn't even noticed.
I really enjoyed this article. I think it was easy to follow along and he had a lot of good points. His fish comparison was great and I don't think anyone would be able to come up with a better one. I also think that this article went along with McIntosh's article alot so that was another reason it was a good read. I could make alot of connections to things we have talked about in class and articles we have read. I think that in order to change the white priviledge, we need to teach it and analyze it in our schools and communities.
This quote is following the paragraphs about Michigan and how it awards points to different groups of people. It awards 16 points to students who are form the upper peninsula from Michigan. This area however, is mostly white. The quote is talking about how when anger is risen from this topic, it is always about the minorities revieving an upper hand with getting points; and what epople don't realize is that white people are getting an upper hand also. The reason people don't get angry about this is because it isn't "advertised". Whites aren't getting points because their application has a check mark next to the white box, but because they give points to areas where white people make up the majority. White preference is hidden, and even ignored because it has "power".
2. "Very telling is the oft-heard comment by whites, 'if only I were black, I would have gotten into my first choice college.'"
When I read this part I was amazed. I can't believe that white students actually believe this. I know that white priviledge isn't acknowledged, but to think that you didn't get into a school because someone who applied was black and had gotten in over you is rediculous. Whites have the highest chance of getting into college over any other race that applies. The reason this students probably don't get in because they didn't meet the schools criteria. I also like how Wise explains that not only does the quote state that the student didn't get in because they lost their spot to someone of color, but it also indicates that the white student doesn't believe that they would have any negative effects on their life if they switched their race. As if their life would stay exactly the same except for getting into the school.
3. "ask a fish what water is and you'll get no answer. Even if fish were capable of speech, they would likely have no explanation for the element they live in every minute of every day of thier lives. Water simply is. Fish take it for granted."
I really liked this quote that Wise put in when I read this. I thought it was a great comparison for the white priviledge. It tells exactly what it would be like to ask a white person about white priviledge. They would most likely have nothing to say about it because they don't really realize it is there. It reminded me of the McIntosh article we read and how everyone in class and even she didn't realize how much white priviledge we have in everyday life until she wrote it down. It sad that how so much power whites have because of their color, isn't even noticed.
I really enjoyed this article. I think it was easy to follow along and he had a lot of good points. His fish comparison was great and I don't think anyone would be able to come up with a better one. I also think that this article went along with McIntosh's article alot so that was another reason it was a good read. I could make alot of connections to things we have talked about in class and articles we have read. I think that in order to change the white priviledge, we need to teach it and analyze it in our schools and communities.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thinking Points #5 Kahne and Westheimer
1. "Educators and Legislators alike maintain that service learning can improve the community and invigorate the classroom, providing rich educational experiences for students at all levels of schooling".
I picked this quote because I think it is the main point of the entire article. I do believe that the service learning program does affect the community and classroom. It allows people in the community who like to work with children and feel that they would be a huge help in the classroom, to be able to share their knowledge and help inside a school. It also allows the teacher to have some help when they are the only teacher inside the classroom. It also gives students a chance to be helped by someone who is not their normal classroom teacher and helps them understand manors towards new elders they have not worked with.
2. "In the moral domain, service learning activities tend toward two types of relationships. Relationships that emphasize charity we will call "giving." Those that aim primarily to deepen relationships and to forge new connections we will call "caring."
This was interesting to me because I never thought of it this way. I always thought of it as giving back to the community and caring came along with it. But after they explained it I kind of understood what the difference was between them and why they are seperate.
3. "Currently, the most broadly supported goal for the service learning activities is to convey to students the importance of charity".
I think this quote is really important to the piece because it gives meaning to service learning. It explains that there is a legit reason for students to cooperate with it. It also explains how important it is to give to the community through charities and helping out.
I liked reading this article, but it wasn't the most intriguing article we have read this semester. I didn't have alot of feed back while reading it, so it made it sort of difficult to stay interested in it. I did learn some new things from the article that may come in handy with the conversations we will have tomorrow.
I picked this quote because I think it is the main point of the entire article. I do believe that the service learning program does affect the community and classroom. It allows people in the community who like to work with children and feel that they would be a huge help in the classroom, to be able to share their knowledge and help inside a school. It also allows the teacher to have some help when they are the only teacher inside the classroom. It also gives students a chance to be helped by someone who is not their normal classroom teacher and helps them understand manors towards new elders they have not worked with.
2. "In the moral domain, service learning activities tend toward two types of relationships. Relationships that emphasize charity we will call "giving." Those that aim primarily to deepen relationships and to forge new connections we will call "caring."
This was interesting to me because I never thought of it this way. I always thought of it as giving back to the community and caring came along with it. But after they explained it I kind of understood what the difference was between them and why they are seperate.
3. "Currently, the most broadly supported goal for the service learning activities is to convey to students the importance of charity".
I think this quote is really important to the piece because it gives meaning to service learning. It explains that there is a legit reason for students to cooperate with it. It also explains how important it is to give to the community through charities and helping out.
I liked reading this article, but it wasn't the most intriguing article we have read this semester. I didn't have alot of feed back while reading it, so it made it sort of difficult to stay interested in it. I did learn some new things from the article that may come in handy with the conversations we will have tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Talking Points #4 Christensen
1. "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live and dream".
I picked this quote because it is exactly true. So many things in our society depict what we should live like, look like, and act like. Christensen mentions the cartoons and children's movies like snow white and cinderella. These stories all show that everyone should be skinny and beautiful (to society's means. i.e. blonde hair, skinny, perfect features) and never lets children know that everyone is beautiful in their own way. If you don't look like snow white, cinderella, or bell, then you are not beautiful is basically what they show. I really believe that media has a huge role in not only children's self-esteem but also adults who carry around doubts about themselves.
2. "When women do appear they look like Jessica Rabbit or playboy centerfolds- even in many of the new and "improved" children's movies".
I picked this quote because it took my words right out of my mouth. As soon as i read about how women are rarely seen in the shows, it popped into my head that when they are present they are portrayed as sex characters most of the time. Wearing sexy little dresses and not appearing to be very smart.
3. "Many who watched cartoons before we started our discussion say they can no longer enjoy them. Now, instead of seeing a bunch of ducks in clothes , they see the racism, sexism, and violence that swim under the surface of the stories".
I think that it is important that these students finally see the cartoons like this because if we don't notice this going on through everyday media we will never be able to change it. The younger you are the more suceptable you are to images and these children are learning this stuff through the cartoons that entertain them. If we are teaching our children these stereotypes, how are we ever going to make a difference in society when its starting so young.
I really enjoyed reading Christensen. I liked how she explained what she did in the classroom with her children and how she tied the activities together to make them see the negativity in these cartoons. I thought it was very interesting to read. Alot of the article reminded me of the new dove self-esteem commercials and how they have the workshops for younger girls so they can think of themselves as beautiful. I am going to try and post one off of youtube when I am finished. I think that it is important to discuss this because this happens everyday; everytime a child watches his/her favorite cartoon and most parents are oblivious to it.
I picked this quote because it is exactly true. So many things in our society depict what we should live like, look like, and act like. Christensen mentions the cartoons and children's movies like snow white and cinderella. These stories all show that everyone should be skinny and beautiful (to society's means. i.e. blonde hair, skinny, perfect features) and never lets children know that everyone is beautiful in their own way. If you don't look like snow white, cinderella, or bell, then you are not beautiful is basically what they show. I really believe that media has a huge role in not only children's self-esteem but also adults who carry around doubts about themselves.
2. "When women do appear they look like Jessica Rabbit or playboy centerfolds- even in many of the new and "improved" children's movies".
I picked this quote because it took my words right out of my mouth. As soon as i read about how women are rarely seen in the shows, it popped into my head that when they are present they are portrayed as sex characters most of the time. Wearing sexy little dresses and not appearing to be very smart.
3. "Many who watched cartoons before we started our discussion say they can no longer enjoy them. Now, instead of seeing a bunch of ducks in clothes , they see the racism, sexism, and violence that swim under the surface of the stories".
I think that it is important that these students finally see the cartoons like this because if we don't notice this going on through everyday media we will never be able to change it. The younger you are the more suceptable you are to images and these children are learning this stuff through the cartoons that entertain them. If we are teaching our children these stereotypes, how are we ever going to make a difference in society when its starting so young.
I really enjoyed reading Christensen. I liked how she explained what she did in the classroom with her children and how she tied the activities together to make them see the negativity in these cartoons. I thought it was very interesting to read. Alot of the article reminded me of the new dove self-esteem commercials and how they have the workshops for younger girls so they can think of themselves as beautiful. I am going to try and post one off of youtube when I am finished. I think that it is important to discuss this because this happens everyday; everytime a child watches his/her favorite cartoon and most parents are oblivious to it.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Thinking Points #3
1."One way that a normalizing curriculum or text works is by selecting students with a "selective tradition".
In this quote Carlson talks about how every curriculum is selected carefully. Not every tradition is brought up in curriculum and usually it has a reason. The traditions and cultures they bring up in lessons has to be productive and mainly something everyone agrees with. Things like homosexuality is not part of the curriculum because it is not seen the same from everyone, even though it is an everyday part of life. Keeping things like this out of curriculum, makes it seem wrong, which is not true at all. I think adding this stuff into curriculum would help people see it from a different perspective and it might actually make some children more comfortable. If a child has two mommys, or two daddys, they might not have to explain it to another child if the other child had already learned something about it.
2. "Some young people, particularly in big cities, are beginning to being their "out" identities to high school, affirming who they are and asserting their rights."
Carlson talks about how it is getting more popular for young gays to speak out about their sexuality. She talks about how some schools set up gay and lesbian clubs where they can speak outloud about their feelings and their sexuality. This reminded me kind of, of the club that Professor Bogad runs where people can just go and talk about how they feel, and it can be about anything. I think that these kids that set up these kinds of things in school are really smart. It gives them a place to go and talk, since school doesn't seem to give them a place to do this comfortably.
3. "5. a recent study of gay men in four cities, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles and Pittsburg, concluded that one third of all currently uninfected twenty year old gay and bisexual men will become HIV positive by the time they are thirty, and that the majority of twenty year old men in the sample with contract AIDS."
Carlson states this quote in her notes at the end of her piece. I was shocked when I read this. I have heard before that gay men are the majoirty of people who contract aids but I never knew how many actually did. I think that statistics like this are the reason that homesexuality is frowned upon in schools.
In conclusion, Carlson's piece wasn't as exciting to read as the other pieces we read in class but it was interesting. She didn't use stories, she used more of facts and ideas about how she feels and thinks. I liked that she talked about how the school curriculum is very specified and I thought to myself that it must be specified to the christian, whiteness ideas since that is what the power is made up of. This is another reason why we don't study homosexuality in school because it is "against" the christian belief.
In this quote Carlson talks about how every curriculum is selected carefully. Not every tradition is brought up in curriculum and usually it has a reason. The traditions and cultures they bring up in lessons has to be productive and mainly something everyone agrees with. Things like homosexuality is not part of the curriculum because it is not seen the same from everyone, even though it is an everyday part of life. Keeping things like this out of curriculum, makes it seem wrong, which is not true at all. I think adding this stuff into curriculum would help people see it from a different perspective and it might actually make some children more comfortable. If a child has two mommys, or two daddys, they might not have to explain it to another child if the other child had already learned something about it.
2. "Some young people, particularly in big cities, are beginning to being their "out" identities to high school, affirming who they are and asserting their rights."
Carlson talks about how it is getting more popular for young gays to speak out about their sexuality. She talks about how some schools set up gay and lesbian clubs where they can speak outloud about their feelings and their sexuality. This reminded me kind of, of the club that Professor Bogad runs where people can just go and talk about how they feel, and it can be about anything. I think that these kids that set up these kinds of things in school are really smart. It gives them a place to go and talk, since school doesn't seem to give them a place to do this comfortably.
3. "5. a recent study of gay men in four cities, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles and Pittsburg, concluded that one third of all currently uninfected twenty year old gay and bisexual men will become HIV positive by the time they are thirty, and that the majority of twenty year old men in the sample with contract AIDS."
Carlson states this quote in her notes at the end of her piece. I was shocked when I read this. I have heard before that gay men are the majoirty of people who contract aids but I never knew how many actually did. I think that statistics like this are the reason that homesexuality is frowned upon in schools.
In conclusion, Carlson's piece wasn't as exciting to read as the other pieces we read in class but it was interesting. She didn't use stories, she used more of facts and ideas about how she feels and thinks. I liked that she talked about how the school curriculum is very specified and I thought to myself that it must be specified to the christian, whiteness ideas since that is what the power is made up of. This is another reason why we don't study homosexuality in school because it is "against" the christian belief.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thinking points #2 Aria
1. "Without question, it would have pleased me to hear my teachers address me in Spanish when I entered the classroom. I would have felt much less afraid. I would have trusted them and responded with ease."
This quote reminded me of class. It reminded me of the day we were talking about how when a person who does not fit the scwaamp categories, scans a room when they first walk in, trying to find somewhere they feel will be comforting to sit. It reminded me of this because people scan a room, looking for people who are like them; gay, lesbian, black, latino, etc. It would make it alot easier for these people to walk into a classroom if the majority of people in it fit their category rather than the white persons. I could understand how Richard would have felt way more comfortable if he walked into class and his teacher was speaking Spanish, because that is was he was used to and that was his "comfort zone".
2. "At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an american citizen".
In this quote Richard tells how it took seven years of living in America to finally feel like an American citizen. His story that leads up to this tells that he didn't feel like one because he didn't speak the primary language. He spoke his private language at his house and that was the only language he was comfortable speaking. He shows that learning the American language, which is also white-based, is the only way he felt like a citizen. Even though he should of felt like one for seven years prior, because he technically was one because he was born in the U.S.
3. "They do not seem to realize that there are two ways a person is individualized. So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individually by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality".
Richard is explaining that in order to achieve public individuality; become an individual within the American society, you have to loose your private individuality. He states that some people may think that publically and privatly individualized is the same thing, when really you can be one of two ways. And they don't realize that someone is suffering giving up their private identity to become and individual in society.
I really enjoyed reading Richard Rodriguez's story. It was an easier read out of many that we have read and it was easy to relate to. I thinked he way of telling about his life rather than just stating facts about it. He included some specific days that clearified some of the ideas he was talking about. I also could relate some of his words to stuff that we have talked about in class and some of the other stories we have read this semester. I really think this article helps in trying to understand how a bilingual student might feel while they are younger and some of the complications they might go through that teachers might not necessarily see.
This quote reminded me of class. It reminded me of the day we were talking about how when a person who does not fit the scwaamp categories, scans a room when they first walk in, trying to find somewhere they feel will be comforting to sit. It reminded me of this because people scan a room, looking for people who are like them; gay, lesbian, black, latino, etc. It would make it alot easier for these people to walk into a classroom if the majority of people in it fit their category rather than the white persons. I could understand how Richard would have felt way more comfortable if he walked into class and his teacher was speaking Spanish, because that is was he was used to and that was his "comfort zone".
2. "At last, seven years old, I came to believe what had been technically true since my birth: I was an american citizen".
In this quote Richard tells how it took seven years of living in America to finally feel like an American citizen. His story that leads up to this tells that he didn't feel like one because he didn't speak the primary language. He spoke his private language at his house and that was the only language he was comfortable speaking. He shows that learning the American language, which is also white-based, is the only way he felt like a citizen. Even though he should of felt like one for seven years prior, because he technically was one because he was born in the U.S.
3. "They do not seem to realize that there are two ways a person is individualized. So they do not realize that while one suffers a diminished sense of private individually by becoming assimilated into public society, such assimilation makes possible the achievement of public individuality".
Richard is explaining that in order to achieve public individuality; become an individual within the American society, you have to loose your private individuality. He states that some people may think that publically and privatly individualized is the same thing, when really you can be one of two ways. And they don't realize that someone is suffering giving up their private identity to become and individual in society.
I really enjoyed reading Richard Rodriguez's story. It was an easier read out of many that we have read and it was easy to relate to. I thinked he way of telling about his life rather than just stating facts about it. He included some specific days that clearified some of the ideas he was talking about. I also could relate some of his words to stuff that we have talked about in class and some of the other stories we have read this semester. I really think this article helps in trying to understand how a bilingual student might feel while they are younger and some of the complications they might go through that teachers might not necessarily see.
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