Saturday, September 29, 2012

Post Reading: Week 4



Section 1:
In the cartoon above the statements that the characters are making are lies because they are all talking about how race does not affect them personally or how they do not see race therefore it should no longer be an issue. This is false because everyday in everything anyone does, your race is reflected upon you in some way. All of the characters in the cartoon that are making statements seem to be white, and since they have never felt the type of racial discrimination that others have felt and if they have never made a racial slur, they feel as though that they are not racists and they live an equal life amongst everyone which is not true.

Section 2:
I agree with McIntosh's statement because even in this day and age where we are such a mixed nation there are still so many stereotypes stapled to all different races, while the white race is still clearly the hierarchy among races. If you are a white male in society today you have the opportunity to excel so much more career-wise, than someone of a different race with the same education and qualifications as you. But many people are oblivious to this because there are some cases where people of a different race can excel and achieve their dreams. So many people see it as meritocracy, and that the people who don't excel are simply just not trying hard enough to achieve their goals. When really a lot of it depends on structural privilege.

Section 3:
Scalzi's analogy to white men playing life on the lowest difficulty setting is great for understanding structural privilege because it is not saying that white men do not have to do anything to achieve things in the life, it is simply saying that it is way easier for them to achieve the things they want with little practice or little effort. They still have to go through obstacles and overcome boundaries to get to the next level but are able to do so with great ease rather than someone who is playing on the highest difficulty level and may have to go through a level repetitively in order to overcome just one obstacle. It is similar to McIntosh's piece because again it touches the subject of meritocracy. That there is a myth that it still exists. White men can coast by on the easiest game setting while others struggle to play on the highest difficulty setting, but most people are oblivious to this kind of privilege so it is never addressed.


Word Count: 421

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Post Reading questions September 4, 2012

-I think that there are many similarities between the students that attended SFSU in 1968 and the students that attend SFSU today. In 1968 the students that attended SFSU were protesting the rights of  minority students due to the inequality that was shown throughout the campus and the question of wether or not "special programs" should continue to be funded or not. And unfortunately, although we as a society have come a long way in terms of racial discrimination but in a lot of cases minorities still struggle financially and with the ever rising tuition costs it is harder for students to attend, both for minorities and non-minorities. This maintains the struggle for social and economic equality. Now it is very rarely that you can succeed in the workplace with no college degree in hand, so students that cannot afford to do so because of economic struggles end up with minimum wage jobs causing a never ending cycle. I think that the CSU's and the state are doing a good job with giving financial aid and grants to those students that deserve it based on academic performance. But with rising costs in tuition the grants and financial aid do not cover all expenses leaving some families unable to pay. These are similar issues that the students in 1968 faced that we are still facing today.

- I agree with Monteiro when he says that traditional history classes would be outlawed under the HB 2281. In one of my US history courses during high school the curriculum was mainly focused around American (white history) and the events that happened with them rather than the history of the US as a whole, including all different ethnicities and their rise in the US. But the only reason I say it would be prohibited is that the four criteria set in HB 2281 are all things that are determined by the individual. In HB 2281 one of the criteria is that the class must not: "Promote resentment toward a race or class of people." but how are the instructors to know how a particular student will take to certain information? They cannot determine the reaction and influence that certain information will have on a student. All of the criteria can apply based on individual ideals. There is no way that these rules can be applied to a group and for all individuals to react the same to course materials.

Word Count: 405

Monday, September 3, 2012

Pre-Reading Responses Week of 8/27

-To me ethnic studies is the study of different ethnicities, cultures, and the traditions and history of said cultures, how they developed as a whole in american society and the impact that they have made in society up to this point. With all of this in mind it gives people that come from different backgrounds and cultures a chance to learn, understand, and appreciate all of the other cultures that are out there. Ethnic studies differs from Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science because it focuses on different groups of people specifically, and addresses how different ethnic groups interact with each other but I also believe that in many ways all four categories overlap at some point.

-I believe that Ethnic Studies was regarded as its own discipline because although we have other studies such as Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science, none of those really touch on the topic of race, how it affects our everyday lives, and how it affects us as individuals living in such diverse communities. Ethnic Studies hones in on different cultures from all different perspectives, and as a study allows for all individuals that want to have a say, do so. It is unique in the fact that it allows us to study different races, and ethnicities closely rather than just a broad overview of people as a whole. This subject is important to have nowadays because America has become such a huge melting pot compared to the rest of the world, so a better understanding and a more educated view on different ethnicities and cultures will lead to, hopefully, a more successful, understanding, peaceful society.

-In my opinion everyone benefits from ethnic studies and it is a very important subject to study. Maybe students that have grown up in less culturally diverse areas during their adolescence will benefit from this course more, expanding their knowledge of different cultures as well as clearing up any misconceptions that they may have had or that may have been formulated in their mind due to particular family beliefs, unfortunate experiences, and media influences. The state of Arizona is considering banning ethnic studies from being taught because it focuses more on the students that happen to be Mexican Americans, and the state is claiming that "It teaches them that they are victims of American Society" because of the law that was just recently passed and in that law it is stated that it bans any class that "promotes the overthrow of the U.S. Government".

Word Count: 414