en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3072517 Comments by ae3407 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170324306 You were able to enjoy the extra benefits of the affirmative action extended to you from the bank. However, did you ever stop to think that maybe you getting the job (because you could give the bank a tax break) took a possible job away from a middle aged woman trying to provide for three kids who might have had more experience and ultimately be better qualified for the position than you? I am not saying I agree with or disagree with the use of affirmative action within companies, but did you ever stop to see that maybe the affirmative action which benefitted you really hurt someone who may have been much better qualified? Wed, 6 Jul 2011 16:07:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170324306 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170323300 Post III My uncle would usually freely admit that it had not been skill or education that got him the dream job that he had, but rather that he had simply been in the right place at the right time, and was able to charm the right people when asked. This situation is a perfect example of things are not always fair and equal among people, but that’s just the way it is, and I think it boils down to the matter of how people, in general, play the cards they are dealt, so to speak. That is to say, how well can people make do with the circumstances life throws at them? Wed, 6 Jul 2011 16:03:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170323300 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170323235 Post II Do you guys remember, maybe back to when you were five or six, and you would argue with a sibling or a parent, and you would shout “that’s not fair!”? Do you remember what was typically said to children in this situation? I do, “Well, life’s not fair.”. I think we all learn very early on, that life is not fair and that some people will have opportunities and luxuries that others will not have. These luxuries may be anything from a job promotion, a raise, a better house, healthcare, even the kind of car we drive. I remember, my uncle, used to have a great job. He had a six figure salary, drove a jag, had a house paid for, and all he did for work was take people to fancy, expensive restaurants and to the country club for golf. I would LOVE a job like that, even though I don’t play gold-I would learn for that job. He had it all, but he didn’t do a lot for work. I would see that from the perspective of an “outsider” looking in and see that that is probably not fair. However, I remember that life is not always fair. Wed, 6 Jul 2011 16:02:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170323235 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170322981 Post I This lecture, pertaining to the clarification of the Affirmative Action, really helped to definitively clear things up for me from materials from other classes. I am in several other classes right now that have, at some point centered around or discussed the use of Affirmative Action in various situations. While I have had other discussions in other classes, I still happened to be unclear on a few aspects of the concept of Affirmative Action. After hearing the lectures from Dr. Richards, I was able to understand things much better. I actually took a moment to stop and think about some of the examples given and other situations which could be examined with the question of Affirmative action. I, personally, believe it is a nice “fantasy” to have that everyone should have the same, equal, opportunities and luxuries in life. However, I do not live in a fantasy world, and I believe that that statement is ludicrous. Wed, 6 Jul 2011 16:01:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170322981 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168811779 I completely agree with you as far as you said it does not really affect you so therefore you won’t go out of your way to support nor will you go out of your way to discourage the gay rights movement or the anti gay rights movement. I feel the same way. It doesn’t affect me in the least bit. I know there are some that believe it is religiously wrong, as do I, but I also believe that my God will not smite me if they are given equal rights. I do not believe I will be sent to Hell if the gay rights movement succeeds. It doesn’t affect me so I say let have it. Fri, 1 Jul 2011 21:40:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168811779 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168811118 Post III While I do not support my friend’s choice of lifestyle, I still support him and wish him the very best. I would not wish him any trouble in the future. While he is a good friend, the concept of gay rights still does not directly affect me and therefore I will not go out of my way to encourage or discourage the passing of such rights in various states. I feel that if it is meant to happen then it will. Fri, 1 Jul 2011 21:37:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168811118 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168811059 Post II I have got a friend who was homosexual, hadn’t told his parents, and told me that he hadn’t told his parents because his father would disown him and his mother would never speak to him again. They were both extremely religious. However, I went with him when he told his parents. His dad shook his hand and said “you are still my son and I will love you regardless” and his mother just hugged him. Though they believed he had done something that went against their religion, they still loved him because he was their son and they loved him more than anything. He later admitted to me that he was shocked at their responses and hadn’t expected such crying from his mother. Later on his mother even asked to meet the guy he had been seeing. To this day, his parents still tell me how much they appreciate their son’s friends, me included, supporting him and encouraging him to tell his parents. Fri, 1 Jul 2011 21:37:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168811059 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168810979 Post I I agree with what most of the other people in the class are saying about how the homosexual relationships do not directly affect me, therefore I really don’t care what they do or do not do. I do not “support” nor do I “not support” the rights being debated because (I know it may come out harsh and I apologize to anyone this might offend) I have too much other stuff going on in my life to really take time to care about something or someone that does not affect me or the way I live my life or my family. I will not go out of my way to support the gay rights movement nor will I go out of my way to support the anti gay rights movement. I suppose if it is what will make some people happy, just let them have the rights they want. As for the other people that believe it is religiously reprehensible and unbiblical, I believe what they say makes sense, but it’s not my soul or religious beliefs in question, and my God won’t hold me personally responsible so I do not care what they do. I have noticed that this topic is covered in many, if not most of the blogs from this class this week. Fri, 1 Jul 2011 21:36:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168810979 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167611302 I disagree with the belief that a person is born either to be gay or straight. If that were true, then there would be many fewer circumstances in which heterosexual marriages are broken apart by one member deciding that they are gay. If a man was born gay, why would he enter into a heterosexual marriage? I understand that this is a hot topic in politics today, but I also believe that the choice or lack thereof a choice to be homosexual is immoral and is not following biblical settings, as Dr. Richards mentioned in his lecture. Many religions in the world consider being gay to be a sin. How do you respond to that? Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:12:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167611302 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167609694 Post III I found that, especially one part of the lecture, I disagree with some parts. For example, Dr. Richards saying that being gay or straight is or is not a choice. I do not believe that it is accurate to say that a person is either born gay or straight. I strongly believe it is, in fact, a choice. How else, could one explain, if a man (or a woman) were to enter into a heterosexual relationship, get married, and have children, and then get divorced and enter into a homosexual relationship? This instance would definitely be a choice, because this individual chose to enter into the heterosexual relationship, and then chose to leave the relationship, and then chose to enter into a homosexual relationship. How do others in the class feel about the homosexual rights? Did the recent law passed in New York permitting gay marriage impact anyone’s thoughts or beliefs? Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:06:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167609694 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167609622 Post II Personally, I feel that it does not affect me personally, so I really don’t care if homosexuals want marital rights. I, personally, believe it is morally and biblically wrong, but if it is what some people want to do with their lives, I say go for it; as long as it does not affect me personally. Though, I did find it surprising that such a large percentage, fifty nine percent, of Dr. Richards 2009 SOC 119 class, supported marital rights for homosexuals. I found this surprising, because most of my personal experiences with college students has led me to believe college students are usually more concerned with themselves and things that affect them and less about laws and rights that affect other people and groups of people. For a moment, I would like to blog about one thing mentioned in Dr. Richard’s lecture, which really got to me and caught my attention. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:06:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167609622 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167609537 Post I I found this week’s lecture to be very interesting and it caught my attention. More specifically, the fact that it is a commonly accepted prediction that by the year 2050, the population of the United States of America will be composed of nearly fifty percent of non-European immigrants. I really can see that happening. In fact, I probably see that happening many years before then. Our country has always been considered to be the world’s “melting pot”, and I suppose that someday, very soon, we might actually be so melted together that we do not have a clear distinction of being European or non-European. Commenting to a post made by jll5270, I would like to take a moment to blog about the laws about homosexuality. I believe that those of a homosexual lifestyle should in fact be subject to the exact same laws as those what apply to those who choose to follow the heterosexual lifestyle. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:06:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment167609537 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165484446 Post III Instead they have both simply reached different stages. Has anyone else drawn a similar conclusion? I understand that people may understand the racial identities better and might be more open minded to people of other races, but I agree very much with Dr. Richards in that race has always been and will always be the primary lens through which we navigate through the world. We may see that some people of a different race are treated one way in one area, and we may be very upset about it, but we will usually spend more time and energy on the issues that affect our own group. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:34:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165484446 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165484335 Post II The percentages given usually pertained to Pennsylvania but this is the case in all states in this country. There are some cities with higher percentages being white, some with higher percentages being African American, some with higher percentages of Hispanic/Latino, and there are even some with higher overall percentages of Native American. Some cities, like Philadelphia, offer populations with more of an equal population of white people and African Americans. Can you think of another major city where that is the case? After seeing these lectures and listening to what Dr. Richards had to say on the subject, I better understand what it means to have and experience the different stages of racial identity. It isn’t like school, where everyone hits the same points as everyone else. Rather, everyone can see and learn to understand things differently. Even within the same family or household, two people can have vastly different understanding to their own racial identity, but that doesn’t make one wrong and one right. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:34:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165484335 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165484220 This lecture was very much an eye opener for me. It grabbed my attention more so than his previous lectures. I think it grabbed my attention so much because this lecture pertained to me more, I thought. The lectures about the Arabs and Muslims was very enlightening also, but this lecture affected me more and as such hit closer to home, so to speak. I particularly like the “Racial Identity Stages” Dr. Richards presented to us. I was able to see that people of different races really do go through different stages and that it is not all the same. I think it helped more to understand some of the conflicts people confront by seeing the numbers. I am very much a number and detail person. If a person tells me that there are a “bunch” of white people in an area, which leaves me to question: What is “a bunch”. However, when a person says, in Pittsburgh for example, there is 67.6 of the population being white; this represents more rock solid detail and grabs my attention more. Are there any other number people out there? Did having the actual numbers help to elaborate some of the facts and opinions presented in the lectures? I sure know it helped me. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 17:34:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165484220 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163059260 I, similar to you, do not see my friends or colleagues as one color or another or as aparticular race. I see them as people. Sometimes I might even, in a state or hurriedness, view them as “the one who like Wendy’s” or “the one who still has my red sweater”, but never as a color or race. Regarding my colleagues, I don’t judge or select to work with one person over the other based on race, but rather what skills they offer and what they can bring to the table. I agree with you that everyone has good and bad qualities, and unfortunately, sometimes (depending on the circumstances) we can only see a person’s true colors once the subject of race has been brought up. Only then can you determine whether or not you really count them a friend. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:47:49 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163059260 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163058464 Post III They lived in Atlanta, Georgia, at the time. His thought and understandings, he later indicated, were directly influenced by his family having been subject to slavery. I told him I didn’t feel offended, in fact, I kind of enjoyed the history lessons. I got to know his grandmother and we started talking about her family history and I learned a great deal of information, that schools don’t teach you. This lesson taught me that I, being white, am not the only one that struggles with what to say, how to say, when to say it, and what questions are and are not appropriate to address between people. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:43:05 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163058464 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163058427 Post II As mentioned in the previous lesson, I never stopped to really reflect and think what it means to be a white person, let alone with this lesson what others can also view me as, because I am white. I have to agree with what some of the others have said thus far, that fear of communicating can sometimes cause more confusion or a wider division between the races. A simple question about a person’s culture or racial heritage can often be misconstrued to be an insult in itself, so often times some people simply prefer not to ask such questions. I once had a man ask me if I felt entitled and deserving because I was white. He didn’t know. He had been taught that all white people felt that way. I personally was not offended by this, in fact, I found it quite humorous to tell you the truth. I told him no and asked him why he asked and he said it was something his grandmother had always been told and taught to believe and she had been taught by her grandmother. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:42:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163058427 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163058363 Post I I guess this lecture really opened my eyes to a sort of fear I have had and have been harboring ever since I moved to the Northeastern United States, the fear of being considered or classified as a racist person. I never needed to, or felt pressured, to acknowledge the “race card”, as I grew up in the predominately white suburban town near Dallas. Now that I have taken a few psychology classes and various history classes, and now this sociology class, I see that it is very much an issue within myself. I stop to think every time I write on this blog, and every time I go to speak in my discussion group what vocabulary I should use. Should I use “colored”, “black”, or “African-American”? I always try to select the one that will be least likely to offend people, but how to choose the right one is the question. Dr. Richards really opened my eyes with this lecture to see that it is a problem for me and I don’t think I ever realized it was there. Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:42:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment163058363 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-1-2/#IDComment162858485 You have a great point about the lack of feeling of being white that most white people have. I like how you bring up that people of different races, such as yourself, think about what it means to be of that race quite often. I connected with the implications offered from each race and how, as you mentioned, the ages of which a child can grasp what it means to be of that race. I cannot say that I have ever really thought about what it means to white, either when I was a child growing up in a white community nor now as a college student. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:16:09 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-1-2/#IDComment162858485