Over the last couple of weeks, all of the readings, lectures, discussions and videos have been very informative. A lot of the information in the readings are what people experience daily or witness with their own eyes. The issues going on with class, gender, and race can be upsetting and hard to grasp because the reality of the matter is we live in a very segregated and divided society. Topics in the lecture that stood out were racial inequality and social movement. When it comes to racial inequality, I witnessed a similar situation while in undergraduate school. A professor at my school displayed hidden racial misconduct towards a black female student in a course. I would often talk with several classmates, all from different races, about the course and upcoming assignments. While having separate conversations with a black student and two white female classmates in my class, I realized that the professor was discriminating against the students. There were online quizzes due every two weeks. However, the professor allowed the white students to retake and submit the quizzes, because of the poor internet connection, …show more content…
As a student in undergrad, I was young and I was focused on passing my classes versus detecting racial inequality, until it was spelled out like in the situation mentioned above. The effect this course is having on my life is that it is confirming that there are people who still treat others unfairly. When reading the course material and viewing my values, it becomes hurtful to accept such poor treatment because I am black and this could have been me. I value fairness with all people. As a human service professional it will even encourage me to speak up if I see a coworker or clients behaving unethical. As a professional it is up to me to identify and report inequality. It will be hard for me to let injustice actions take place. It takes a leader to stand up for what is
In 1994, renowned college professor Nikki Giovanni published an awe-inspiring article. It contains guidance to black college students on how to academically apply themselves in college, and she teaches them how to deal with the ignorance of white people, from sharp tongued comebacks to gaining a professor’s respect. Along the way, the article “Campus Racism 101” states Giovanni has acquired a tenure, she has a teaching position for life, at the predominately white student body Virginia Tech (Giovanni 11). Nikki Giovanni’s “Campus Racism 101” uses logic when giving advice to black students on how to succeed in college, appeals to Giovanni’s credibility, and appeals to the emotions of racism all in order to educate how black college students need to deal with ignorance on a college campus.
As a result, my thinking and perception was shaped and influenced by many of the negative stereotypes of African Americans that has been perpetuated in our society at large (this is where education can be a great liberator of falsehoods and misconceptions). I have come to appreciate Professor Marie’s Intercultural Communication course, for the class has broaden my critical thinking skills and stretched my thinking and understanding. Finally, how do I think this information will be of use to me? True understanding and teamwork will not begin to occur until individuals begin to speak up about address and embrace the controversial topics of race and culture. Setting aside the problem of racism and covering it up by saying that everyone is the same, does not eliminate the issue. Trying to patch up issues around the world dealing with culture and racism only provides a quick, short lasting solution, for when the temporary patch falls away, the problems will have grown twice as big. All it does is temporarily set aside what we know is still there.
We have been given a multitude of chances to take the lessons of our ancestors in stride and better ourselves from their experiences, but instead we choose to neglect our lessons and relapse into a society fueled by hatred. The act of dehumanization has been an ongoing reoccurrence throughout our tarnished history. It may change, and evolve into new levels of hatred. It has no bias; it will choose its victims between race, sex, social levels and many other faucets that most of us are born into. In short, the historical lessons of this course have taught me that if we wish to provide a better future for not only our generation but also the generations that are to follow us, then we must change the way that we treat others who are different than us. The best way we can achieve this goal is to learn from the lessons that have been so prevalent throughout our
For my intercultural campus event, I attended the Opal Tometi black lives matter lecture. Opal Tometi is currently a major activist in search of equal rights for African americans as well as the cofounder of the black lifes matter movement. The black lives matter movement is a movement that is focusing on creating an equal America for everyone. It was inspired by all of the racial violence that is occurring across America today. During Tometi’s lecture, the current social injustices were addressed as well as what we have to do to correct them. Her lecture helped me better understand privilege and oppression in the America as well as tied in to many of the course concepts.
As an African American male, I experienced inequality, and judgment from individuals that have no idea what kind of person I truly am. As a youth, I received a lackluster education, which has resulted in me underachieving in a number of my college classes. It has come to my attention that other colored students are currently experiencing and receiving the same inadequate learning environment and educatio...
Professor’s comment: This essay assignment was designed to equip students with an understanding of academic research, theories, and concepts on race relations and then use that as a basis from which to critically think about, analyze, and develop strategies for change, both for themselves and for the world around them.
As I reflect back on my childhood years, and utilizing a Critical Race Study lens, I can see both positive and negative aspects of my early onset experiences. In this paper, I will focus on both the negative and positive aspects of Internalized oppression/racism, as well as, identifying experiences in my life in which I was considered ‘privileged’ and how my different intersectionalities shaped and molded my views in my current helping profession role.
As an educator, I think it is my role to counter institutionalized racism and classism. No student should ever be treated differently because of their race. I believe that as a teacher, I need to recognize the backgrounds of all my students and help to teach their beliefs so that the other students understand. I also believe without a complete understanding of a student’s background, it can lead to bullying and fighting.
Race, Gender, and Social class are all common interests in our American Society since before the Civil Rights Movement until now and will continue to be. Many theories have been developed with the intent to analyze these concepts of human life, and genetics within the scope of society. Critical Race theory, a modern take on the subtle racism and discrimination in institutional society and our American law, is one of these theories that construct the ideas relating race, gender and social class to American society. All groups of people are affected by racism and discrimination throughout the United States. Arab Americans and the Sioux, Native American Indian group, are two groups I will analyze in relation to Critical Race theory.
In Anderson and Collins’, chapter on “Why race, class, and gender still maters” encourage readers to think about the world in their framework of race, class, and gender. They argued that even though society has change and there is a wide range of diversity; race, class and gender still matters. Anderson and Collins stated, “Race, class, and gender matter because they remain the foundation for system of power and inequality that, despite our nation’s diversity, continue to be among the most significant social facts of peoples lives.” (Anderson and Collins, 2010) When I was a little girl, I never knew that people were classified in to groups such as race, class, gender. I knew there were people that had a different color of skin than my color of skin. I knew that there were rich people and poor people, and that there were girls and boys. I saw everyone as being human beings, as being the same and not classified as something. As I was growing up, I started to see the differences in classifications in groups. It was not because I just woke up knowing that there were different classifications, but because I was taught about them in school and society. Anderson and Collins stated, “Race, class and gender shape the experiences of all people in the United States. (2010) This means that experiences that we have gone through in life are formed from a race, class, and gender view.
I must admit that before I began taking this class I took for granted how much racism still exists in this country. I have started to put more thought in to the way the world really is, the topics discussed in class have started to catch my interest. When I first started reading the Tatum book I was mad when I read her version of the word “racism”. I thought to my self “I personally have never held down the black race, what does she mean?” As I progressed in the book I was starting to understand what she meant about the system of advantages that white people are given. I also understood this better when I read Elizabeth Munich’s list of examples of how there are advantages to being white. I couldn’t help agreeing with her argument based on what I have seen in my life so far. I have seen blacks harassed in stores and denied housing. At the time I simply felt it was too bad and forgot about it. According to Tatum I was practicing “passive racism” and I agree with her on that. I have never done anything to try and change the system and I do reap the advantages of being white whether or not I like it. I believe that reading this book has opened my eyes to how much racism still exists in this country that claims to uphold equal rights. Another argument that Tatum discusses is how everybody is prejudiced in one way or another. I also believe this is true, almost everyone I know has made a racist joke or laughed at one at least. I believe that this is because of th...
Sociology is something I didn’t know about until I took this class. This class introduced sociology to me. I learned about how society basically made boys supposed to like blue and girls supposed to like pink. Sociology is “the systematic or scientific study of human society and social behavior, from large-scale institutions and mass culture to small groups and individual interactions” (Ferris and stein 2014: p9). Sociology is not something you just learn when you are just born. You learn about sociology throughout your life. Sociology is displayed around things such as being around different environments, friends, and family. Education is a sociology idea that can examine a person’s class and schooling. The higher the education you have,
“An array of knowledges, skills, abilities and contacts possessed and used by Communities of Color to survive and resist racism and other forms of oppression” encompasses the main idea of Community Cultural Wealth. It is vital to understand that students will step foot into the classroom with a variety of cultures zipped up in their backpacks, and it is our job as educators to make sure that equality is instilled/taught in our classrooms. The second a student feels a sense of discrimination, whether from ourselves or their fellow classmate(s), is when the safe and comforting environment of the classroom begins to diminish. Here I will discuss just how important it is to see the differences amongst students as an advantage
This is a reflective writing essay, based on what I learned this semester in my sociology 1013.51 Introduction to Sociology. I am going to discuss a few of the concepts and lessons that I have learned in class and from my instructor.
The racism had a big historical significance if we go back to the history. Also, I learned what is capitalism is how capitalism effected with other society. Things that I have a deeper understanding of your core values in the context of social justice theory. I learned to identify various forms of power, privilege, and oppression that have existed in the USA throughout history and into present time. I learned to skillfully engage in reflective learning to explore and understand your service experiences. This course focuses on issues of diversity, oppression and social justice. It is designed to prepare social work students to be knowledgeable of people’s biases based on race, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, social and economic status, political ideology, disability and how these contribute to discrimination and oppression. The challenge of my preconception I personally thought the class will being kind other social classes but when I in the class I learned so many different thing that I was thought I will learned and my teacher classified in many ways. Before in this class I thought the racism it is something you can make your own but I learned it is something that from in our genetics. Also, I thought racism it is