en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2402066 Comments by Racialambiguity http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145269208 ****Were you surprised by any of Basum’s responses or his appearance and why? Yesterday’s class was a little surreal to me. I was amazed at the fact that we actually got to speak with an Iraqi man who is currently living in Iraq. I was not surprised by any of Basum’s responses. In fact, I liked the way he answered every question. I have always been skeptical of the impression that television gives us of the average Iraqi. Some of the responses that I valued the most include the question that asked about how Iraqis felt about extremists, which is similar to the question about his feelings on September 11th. I was not surprised that he does not favor extremists and that he was shocked at what took place on September 11th. I mean who would like unpredictable people who kill innocent people. Extremists do not represent who Iraqis are; extremists make up a very minute portion of Iraqis. If we were to reverse the situation and look at that soldier who went rogue and raped and killed that Iraqi woman, how would we respond to that? We would probably say that he does not represent the typical American. I feel that media is a big influence on what we consider to be the mentality of an average Iraqi. For instance after 9/11 the media showed videos of Middle Eastern people celebrating in the streets, burning American flags, and rejoicing after what took place. I guess it shows us how one-sided television can be, especially when we only are seeing what the US wants us to see. Another question that I enjoyed him answering was when someone asked what do typical Iraqi teenagers do for fun? When he responded saying that they enjoy partying and drinking like many young American adults, I smiled knowing that Iraqis are not much different than Americans. These people are looked down by the US as being a lesser form of civilization, when in fact there are no different than we are. They are children, parents who worry for the safety of their kids, have their own religious beliefs, and who would prefer that foreign individuals not come into their territory to take their oil. This Q&A session definitely answered a lot of the questions that many Americans would love to get answers to. I was very thankful of this man’s willingness to answer question after question with as much honesty as he could. He definitely brought a new perspective to the mentality that many Americans would expect Iraqis to have. As our discussion in class ended, his final words were “I wish you all the best in your studies and I hope that your love ones come home from Iraq safely”. Applause filled the lecture hall as we heard such kind words. In my opinion, this man has greatly impacted the lives of at least 300 students who may have had preconceived notions of people from Iraq. Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:04:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/21/were-you-surprised-by-any-of-basums-responses-or-his-appearance-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment145269208 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-does-it-say-about-our-society-if-schools-are-more-segregated-now-than-in-the-1970s-119-blog/#IDComment143240273 Irakanji , You bring up some interesting points in your blog. I find it interesting that you mention that the past is one of the factors that led to schools being more segregated. I agree that the past has definitely set a ridge between races, causing even greater differences in "free will" and "determinism". Like you mentioned, location is a big factor, but there is no way that location is the main cause as to why different races tend to go to different schools. I am just amazed that even as the years have gone by there exists this belief that equality is increasing, when in actuality it is not. I want to place a lot more focus on your point that this segregation is due to differences in wealth and income. I would agree that the differences in wealth and incomes across the racial spectrum are gradually becoming more equal, but there is still a greater sense of inequality. Until different races are competing on the same levels, with similar amounts of resources and opportunities, our schools will remain segregated even if it were not intentional as it use to be in the past. I do want to also point out that I went to a public school that was almost 100% minority students only, white families saw the private schools as being the best choices for their children. I am sure my parents would of felt the same way, but they chose to send me to schools that were free and within their means of living(I hold nothing against my parents for that). Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:48:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-does-it-say-about-our-society-if-schools-are-more-segregated-now-than-in-the-1970s-119-blog/#IDComment143240273 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/is-nepotism-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-119-blog/#IDComment143237310 jerseygirl309, I feel as though Nepotism is all around us and it probably wont ever be done away with. As long as people care for their love ones, have favoritism towards groups of individuals, and hold positions of high authority, then nepotism will continue to exist. I agree that it can be a very unfair thing, but its all around us as though it were a contagious disease. There is even subliminal nepotism that relates back to the concept of latent prejudices that Sam mentioned in a previous class. For instance, two female candidates apply for a job. One is black and one is white. Both female candidates are identical in every form shape and fashion except skin color. The interviewer is a white male who favors black women with a strong passion, causing him to flirt more with the black candidate. At the end of both interviews, he passes ONLY one resume onto the hiring staff at that particular company. Which candidate's resume was passed on? .....nepotism.....undercover.... Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:32:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/is-nepotism-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-119-blog/#IDComment143237310 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/why-did-the-white-students-tell-the-story-differently-than-the-mixed-or-black-students-119-blog/#IDComment143235729 mswang2013, Coming from the perspective of a black student I was not surprised by the differences in the story. I feel as though there were a lot of factors affecting what people retained when they were told the story, and what they felt were important to reiterate. I do want to point out that at the beginning of the game, the first female I believe her name was "Jenna", she was the first to alter the story. In reference to the "N" word, she was unwilling to use it, so she said that there were derogatory terms used by the white students in the story. Even Jenna who is not white but looks as though she is either Hispanic or a mix of black & Hispanic, was unwilling to say the N-word so she altered the story to match her comfort zone. To be honest, if I were in front a group of hundreds of students and had to repeat what she had to repeat, I would of probably took the same route and used more socially acceptable terms. It all relates back to "Political Correctness"!!!! Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:25:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/why-did-the-white-students-tell-the-story-differently-than-the-mixed-or-black-students-119-blog/#IDComment143235729 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/is-nepotism-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-119-blog/#IDComment143214555 ****Is nepotism a good or bad thing in the long run? I have never really explicitly benefitted from the help of people I know, or used family members/friends for job hookups. I strongly feel like a majority of the things I have gotten in life have come from me going out of my way to achieve them. In the past I have worked hard on the SAT, applied for scholarships, and even went to career fairs in search of internships. In relation to whether or not I can refrain from ever benefiting from nepotism, I would have to say it depends on the severity of the account. I am only human; therefore I struggle at times when it comes to making the right decision or even the decision that will put me two steps ahead rather than just one. However, that does not mean that I am willing to engage in illegal situations just because I see it as being a tremendous benefit. You call it nepotism and other people will call it networking. Basically the point I am trying to get at is that there are varying degrees of what can be accounted as nepotism. Is nepotism really that bad though, the only person being affected is that individual? Wrong. The thing that many people, including myself, fail to understand is that for you to be unjustifiably placed ahead in life, it involves placing someone behind. This relates a lot to the “King of the Mountain” exercise that Sam did during the first half of the course. To you it may seem like a small innocent favor, but to someone else it is a big injustice. The best example of these feelings is the misunderstood beliefs on Affirmative Action. I have a lot of white male friends who always make subliminal references to affirmative action as being a component towards some of my achievements as a black male. In essence, they feel as though I am being given some form of nepotism in order to excel above them (to be honest, most of them are lazy and don’t go to class). I am just glad that Sam addressed this in class and pointed out to the class that almost everyone benefits from affirmative action. I will admit that I was not too shocked when Sam said that women, mostly white women, and middle class African Americans are the main beneficiaries of Affirmative Action. In addition, I like the way in which Sam stated that because women benefit from Affirmative Action, their husbands and children also benefit. In essence, Affirmative Action is a big benefit to everyone in the long run if you were to consider it from Sam’s perspective. I am not certain whether Affirmative Action is like a legal form of nepotism or not, but if I were asked to classify it, I would say it is not a form of nepotism especially since it can benefit most people in the long run. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:45:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/is-nepotism-a-good-or-bad-thing-in-the-long-run-119-blog/#IDComment143214555 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment142218282 krands155, I do not think that anyone should have guilt for being of a certain race. Your actions and not your race should be what determines whether or not you should have guilt. In fact even as a black male, I could feel guilty for my thoughts or actions if I know that I have done things consciously to injustice another race. The past is the past, and this is the present. Lets start over fresh, but never forget what happened. Time to learn from our mistakes and move forward, with memories of the past sealed in textbooks, statues, paintings, etc. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:12:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment142218282 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment142217339 jg_997, Just to add an even more unique perspective, I am a black male coming from a predominantly black high school. When I first applied to Penn State, it was definitely strategic in the sense that I wanted to escape the atmosphere of a majority black school and transition to one where I would not be seen as the majority. I think Penn State is lacking in its diversity meaning that there is not an appropriate mix of black, hispanic, asian, white, etc students, but that is basically how the majority of America is. I have no real issues with Penn State because I definitely find the change of scenery interesting, but a couple more different faces could not hurt. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:07:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment142217339 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/if-we-lived-in-a-female-centered-world-what-words-would-be-used-to-describe-sex-119-blog/#IDComment142214977 tcl5040, I have no problem living in a mature female-centered world. I have always had a niche for listening to females over males, not only because they can consider the facts better but also because they can relate a lot more to others. As a male, we tend to be more irrational, don't consider the facts all the way through, and can be very immature. In saying this, women definitely help to balance men out very well. However, women due have unfavorable characteristics, such as being too passive at times, and easily intimidated. That is why if I could choose, I would want to live in a female-male balanced world. By the way gender-roles suck. Stay at home dads, bread-winning moms, dads who cook and clean, moms who wash the cars, dads who braided and comb their daughters hair, any role could go both ways. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:56:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/if-we-lived-in-a-female-centered-world-what-words-would-be-used-to-describe-sex-119-blog/#IDComment142214977 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment142213613 gll918, I also feel that no one should have felt uncomfortable during the conversation because it was told from both a male and a female perspective. The only way for someone to feel uncomfortable is if they make themselves uncomfortable. As a male, I felt no way attacked or tongue lashed by what they said about 2/3 of males being unable to satisfy their female counterparts. In fact, I took the opportunity to listen closely to what was being said, and find ways to improve or continue to keep the good sex up. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:51:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment142213613 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment142212647 mfc5088, In my soc discussion class, the females pointed out that they dress up mostly because of what their girlfriends would think of them not dressing up(wearing jeans and sneakers). Coming from a male perspective, I do not really care what a female wears to a party as long as its clean, not oversized, and it matches(simple huh, yup guys are simple). In fact, I feel sorry for all those females in the eight inch heels, t-shirts that substitute as a dress, and the tiny jackets they wear. I would definitely prefer that women dress more appropriately based on weather and what they feel is sexy clothing. My only question is whether girls dress up, do makeup and their hair for the attention of the their male peers or for the approval of their female peers? Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:47:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/women-what-are-your-thoughts-on-dressing-up-while-men-dress-down-and-did-they-change-after-this-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment142212647 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/what-reasons-make-multiculturalism-positive-for-the-us-119-blog/#IDComment142211217 kes5380, Multiculturalism definitely spices up the lives of individuals. How boring is it to live in a world with so many different areas to explore, different foods to try, different ways of dressing, etc? Why limit yourself? Like you mentioned, I feel that with an increase in multiculturalism, we can definitely eliminate some of the negative cultural issues that exists today. Like Sam said, a lot of the issues that occur is based on a lack of perspective into the culture and behavioral practices of others. It would be a lot easier to not offend someone from Asia or Africa, once we were more aware of their common practices. Now that would be a proper definition of "Political Correctness". Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:40:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/what-reasons-make-multiculturalism-positive-for-the-us-119-blog/#IDComment142211217 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment142209689 faithp, This is actually a pretty cool topic to bring up. I also feel like before I took soc 119, I would definitely overlook or be uninterested in situations like this, especially if they do not affect me(I speak English). However, now I see how much ignorance actually exists in the world. The refusal to serve individuals based on language is just as bad as the refusal to serve blacks during the Civil Rights Era. It just goes to show us that people lack consideration for others. Whats even worse is the fact that the restaurant can probably get away with it on the grounds of free speech (1st Amendment). But thats the point of this class, to help curb mentalities like this by targeting the younger populous in hopes of educating people on race relations. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:32:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/have-you-ever-witnessed-english-being-the-only-language-forced-to-be-spoken-119-blog/#IDComment142209689 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/would-you-be-willing-to-learn-a-new-language-for-a-job-119-blog/#IDComment142208168 Prettyinpink6, Love your blog, money makes us do anything. I am in complete agreement with you along the lines that if I can make more money by doing something legal and rational, I would definitely be willing. I wonder if companies began asking employees to take classes on racial ethics in order to receive higher paying salaries, how many individuals would be willing to do it. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:24:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/would-you-be-willing-to-learn-a-new-language-for-a-job-119-blog/#IDComment142208168 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/how-will-you-be-treated-differently-if-whites-become-the-minority-119-blog/#IDComment142207369 Driono722, Your blog brings up some really good points. Even though Sam said the "world is getting more browner", you feel as though a lot of white individuals are unwilling to accept this mentality. In my opinion I feel as though many would want to be darker, hence why so many individuals tan so often and make jokes about being too pale. However I do feel that many would like to still be classified as white, due to the subliminal connotation that being white is like being part of an elite class. In conclusion, they would not have a problem looking darker, but they would want to still be seen as white individuals. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:20:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/how-will-you-be-treated-differently-if-whites-become-the-minority-119-blog/#IDComment142207369 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment142206074 Chelsi_lee, I first want to say thank you for sharing such personal accounts. I remember when I was younger my father would always tell me to date either a black or hispanic female, and I never took him too serious. But I remember him finding some pictures of me and a white female from a summer program together, and he got pretty upset about it and it ended in a pretty big argument. This event caused me to lose a lot of respect for my father. As well, before I came to Penn State, my father has always expressed to me that I need to be extra careful because our campus is a majority white. No matter how much I express to him the safety and professionalism of teachers on campus, he still feels as though I am going to be injusticed wherever I go. My father is in his mid-50s, so i guess his fears have a lot to do with his childhood, which was very different from the time period I grew up in. Just wanted to share with you, that you are not alone. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:13:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment142206074 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/would-you-date-someone-like-me-119-blog/#IDComment142203959 Maxonthinks, Great blog bro. I am the complete opposite when I say that my school was about 65% Black, 25% Hispanic, and 10% other(white, asian, etc). This means that as a black male, I have never dated a white female or even got to know one on a more intimate scale. This does not mean that I wouldn't want to date one, but I find it difficult to approach them. But if a white female ever showed me interest, I would definitely hop to the opportunity. Similar to your friends, I am most certain that my friends would tease me about being in an interracial couple, but I am sure they would still be supportive. But like you said, we can pursue who/whatever we want in order to be happy. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:03:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/would-you-date-someone-like-me-119-blog/#IDComment142203959 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-factors-in-your-race-make-it-difficult-to-date-outside-your-race-119-blog/#IDComment142202469 Sljw126871, I really like the point you brought up about the differences in language. I never really saw language as being a barrier in dating outside your race, because I am use to english being the norm. But I can definitely see and understand that language barriers between your family and your significant other can pose a big problem. I also agree with your statement that culture should not be a major factor as to why one could not date outside their race. Cultures can be learned once a person is willing to embrace it, and as Sam put it in class, cultures build off of one another. Suggestion: Try to date someone from another race who is bi/multilingual and can communicate more with your family. I think my family would be more impressed if my significant other could overcome a language barrier in order to date me. Just a suggestion though. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:56:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-factors-in-your-race-make-it-difficult-to-date-outside-your-race-119-blog/#IDComment142202469 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/would-you-point-out-the-people-of-your-own-race-who-make-racial-slurs-or-prejudice-comments-119-blog/#IDComment142200718 Seehowididthat, You bring an interesting perspective to this topic, by adding the element of friendship to the topic. Assuming that these friends you mentioned are the same race as you, I definitely can agree with you that it relates to the "pass the blame" subject. I know from my own personal perspective, it is hard for me to point out when my friends are being blatantly racist. Meaning that I wont really point out racial jokes unless they take it too far. I also want to mention that I have a couple of friends from the opposite race who make "minor" racial jokes and comments even towards me, and I am most likely to let it roll of my shoulder than to tell them about it. I have noticed that I also tend to do things when I feel like they took it too far by suddenly going quiet in the conversation, start texting on my phone, or seem uninterested. These things definitely express to them my uncomfort. I wonder why it is so hard to tell a friend when they are approaching racial bounds. Could it be to avoid arguments? Tue, 12 Apr 2011 13:47:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/would-you-point-out-the-people-of-your-own-race-who-make-racial-slurs-or-prejudice-comments-119-blog/#IDComment142200718 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment141125079 Coming from a poor island myself I am able to relate with the Haitians and everything that Ernso Jean Louis said on Thursday. I come from a family that is very proud and would rather be self-sufficient than to be reliant on foreign aid. When my family was dealt a devastating blow during a 1999 hurricane that left our island without power, we were very reluctant to accept foreign help. I know it was personally hard for me to go from being in a state of security to going into a position where I felt lower than low. In relation to the intended question, I disagree with the use of pictures of children for foreign aid, for two primary reasons. The first reason is that many of the times, these individuals who use such strong messages and seem to have so much intent on helping the unfortunate, are doing it for selfish reasons that could even include scam acts. To me, it is truly sad to exploit children and the abuse the kindness of good Samaritans for personal gain. I am not saying that there are not legitimate individuals and organizations who actually intend to help the unfortunate, but I am just saying that there are some individuals who lack good judgment because they are blinded by easy profit. My second reason for not supporting the use of these pictures is because the message that is associated with them is not the message that the less fortunate want conveyed about them. In the case of Haiti, they do not want people to see that as poor individuals begging for donations and pity. Instead, they want to educated people on their situation and ask them for their support in a more conventional way. Like I mentioned in the beginning, everyone wants to be self sufficient. These individuals want to be able to sustain their families and work for their money. It is more satisfying to earn a dollar than to be given five. In addition, if these individuals can be reach a state of sustainability, they can sustain themselves for an extended period of time. If they are given money, that is one time income, that money won’t last and they will be right back at square one. Like Ernso said, if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish he can eat for a lifetime. That quote is the perfect depiction of what I think support for Haiti should be like. Restoring pride to these nations helps to build these nations back up, rather than demeaning them by making them charity cases when they are truly not. These individuals are skilled and talented, but they do lack the necessary resources to promote their businesses. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 00:29:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment141125079 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/how-will-you-be-treated-differently-if-whites-become-the-minority-119-blog/#IDComment138895752 ***How will you be treated differently if whites become the minority? Well first of all, I doubt I would be around when whites become the minority (year 3011). However, if I had to imagine being around during this time period, I would expect a few things to happen. The first thing is to be treated a little more harshly by some members of the white race, especially if racism has persevered until this time period. I am most certain that by then, there will be strong arguments, saying that Blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics have finally leveled the playing field. I would also expect that affirmative action would have been done away with. This would mean that I could finally be certain that all of my accomplishments would have been based on my intelligence and skills rather than my skin color. I would be a lot more conscious of prejudices and latent racism that could have increased due to the change in the demographics of the populous. There would certainly be more mention of overpopulation of the US; political arguments over the increase in the numbers of the previous minority classes. Possibly even restrictions on how many members/children a family could exceed. That would be really crazy if that were to happen. To be honest, I would be scared of a world where whites are the minority. I actually feel as though tensions would rise, and racism would be at its highest. Similar to the video we saw in class, where there were those groups of whites who made assumptions that minorities were taking over their jobs, there might be an increase in racial groups out to exterminate one another. ***So the above was the dystopian perspective of whites becoming the minority. Now here is the Utopian version: Let’s assume whites are the minority. Let us also assume affirmative action is still present, but only this time it has been reformed to help those disadvantaged by other characteristics then race or gender (mainly their socioeconomic status). In a world like this I might actually be more comfortable walking in an establishment and seeing an array of different races. With whites being the minority, there would be more diverse neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, etc. This would all be assumed taken account that family incomes and wealth were more equally proportioned across the racial spectrum. There could be many advantages to this. Children would be more used to growing up in a world where they see white faces just as often as they see colored faces. Similarly, I feel as though the adult population would grow more tolerant to other cultures and races once they have been exposed to it on a larger scale. I would expect to be treated more equally in a world like this. I would expect to hear less racial signifiers. I would expect to be treated as a potential husband to some white girl, because she no longer has that many white men to choose from (just kidding). However, I do still think that racism from all races may still pervade even in this Utopian society. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:05:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/how-will-you-be-treated-differently-if-whites-become-the-minority-119-blog/#IDComment138895752