en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2424024 Comments by cep528 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/#IDComment144617232 I was shocked to find out that schools today are more segregated then they were in the 1970s. One would think that in this day and age it would be the exact opposite, yet that is not the case at all. Personally, I want to a very diverse high school where there was an equal mixture of black and white students, so it did not occur to me that the composition of other schools is extremely different. However, as we learned earlier in the semester, geography plays a large role in who makes up the population. For instance, I believe the Pennsylvania was around 82.9 percent white. This is probably why the majority of Penn State, 72.8% of the students here are white. This was one thing that really shocked me when I first arrived on campus. With over 43,00 students I could not believe how lily white it was. There are so many white people there were so few black people. However, after looking at the statistics, it makes more sense that Penn State is predominantly white due to the fact that the state is predominantly white. I live in New York where it tends to be much more diverse then Pennsylvania. However, my roommate who lives just thirty minutes from here feels like Penn State is quite diverse. She comes from a rural town just thirty minutes south of state college. The high school where she attended was made up of just two-hundred students. Of which there were only two African Americans and only one asian, with the rest of the school being white. When I asked her if she thought this was strange that her school wasn’t very diverse, she told me she hardly ever noticed it because it is she has ever known. So, I think that one reason schools are more segregated today than in the 1970s is because we don’t recognize it or we don’t think about it. However, I think it is important that we address these issues. If Penn State has any faults, I would say that it’s lack of diversity is at the top of the list. It is important that schools are diverse because the real world outside the classroom is diverse. There are so many different kinds of people on this Earth from so many walks of life and it is unrealistic to think that we are all the same, or to think that there is only one culture out there. It is important to learn about other cultures and races because this is what the world is made up of. The fact that our schools are more segregated then they were in the 1970s is extremely shocking and it does not benefit anyone. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:50:43 +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/#IDComment144617232 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142577458 Tuesday’s class was a wakeup call for me. I have been living on Native American land for eighteen years and although I am aware that they were here first I hardly ever give it a second thought. By the results from the survey question asking “How much do we know about Native Americans” it looks like I am not the only one is not very informed about the first inhabitants of this land. After watching the videos and learning more about Native Americans, I was shocked by some of the things I saw. First, in the video about the people leaving on the reservation I could not believe how impoverished all of the people that lived there were. The family that had to push their car all the way to the pawn shop so that they could sell their television in order for food really was shocking. I cannot believe that Native Americans are some of the poorest people living in America. The irony of it all is that they should be the richest because all of the land that America is made up of belongs to them. Another thing that really surprised me was that Native Americans have a very high suicide rate. They have the highest rate for teenagers as well as adults over age 65. I would have never thought that Native Americans would have the highest suicide rate. Nor would I have thought that the most violent crimes are committed against Native Americans. And the majority of those crimes are committed by white people. Also, Native AMerican women are much more likely to be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. These figures were something I would not have expected, yet they are very real. So, not only did we steal their land but we also treat them horribly. Their ancestors are probably rolling over in their graves, and I can’t say I blame them. In the song the verse that Struck me the most was “ Away, Away, you have been banished your land is gone, and given me and here I spread my wings, yes I will call this home. What’s this you say you feel a right to remain, then stand and I will bury you. (Which is technically what we have done) Then stay and I will bury you. What’s that you say, your father’s spirit still lives in this place. I will silence you.” These lyrics are extremely powerful and they reflect the way that we have treated Native Americans. We have silenced Native American people. We have silenced them so much, that many of my peers nor I no little to nothing about Native American people. We don’t know the atrocities that were committed against them or the cruelty they have endured from Americans. We have taken so much from them and yet we don’t even realize it. The way that they are living today is shocking and horrible, and yet we don’t give it a second thought. How dare we steal their land and their voice. There certainly is blood in the water. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:25:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142577458 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141253903 Yes, it did greatly. Personally, I am not one for war. Although, like Sam I am not a pacifist, but I think that sometimes there can be ways around war. However, there are certainly times when war is the needed. As an American I hardly I am aware of what is going on in Iraq and I know that sometimes soldiers do really bad things to innocent people. However, I never put myself in the shoes of someone from Iraq, so the “Christian Invaders” lecture was really eye opening for me. When I put myself in the shoes of Middle Easterners I became angry at Americans. All of the video clips that we watched and the things on t.v. portrayed America in a negative light. When I saw the video of the army tank rolling over a car because the people in the car had stolen wood, I was appalled. They did not serve to have their car destroyed because of something small like stealing wood. At the end of the video when we found out that the man who owned the car was a taxi driver, and that was his sole means for income I became infuriated. The soldiers were enjoying every moment of rolling over that car and they did not think about what kind of effect their actions would have on anyone else. Also, the video where the army tank pushed the other car off the road because they were driving to slow was horrifying. These images made me feel angry and a Middle Easterner I began to view Americans negatively. However, when I put my American shoes back on, I could see both sides. There are definitely a lot of bad things that go on, however not all soldiers are bad and do bad things. In fact, some of the soldiers in the videos we saw probably got into trouble for what they did. However, Middle Easterners do not know that Americans soldiers get punished when they commit dishonorable acts. They are only seeing these images and that is all they know because it’s the only side they are getting. So, when I was sitting in their shoes I began to understand why they have feelings of dislike for America. I began to see why they view Americans in the ways that they do. And although I would like to think that if I were a Middle Easterner I would be against terrorism, I can’t say for sure because I am not living in their position. I do not have to go through the things that they go through daily. I hear about war in the newspapers and on television, they live it first hand. Before this lecture I thought I would never understand how such a terrible thing like terrorism could occur, and although I am totally against terrorism, I think that I can understand why it happens more. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 14:01:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/did-putting-yourself-in-the-shoes-of-the-middle-easterners-change-your-views-on-the-war-in-iraq-119-blog/#IDComment141253903 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/#IDComment139382920 I think it is appalling the way women dress up to go out and men dress down. It is a complete double standard. I have seen women at Penn State go out in 20 degree weather wearing teeny dresses and nothing else. They are sacrificing trying to look great for all the guys at a frat party for their comfort and warmth. I have been to many frat parties and not once have I ever seen a guy dressed up to the equivalent as a girl. The attire of a guy at a frat party usually consists of jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt, or on a special occasion, perhaps they will sport a polo. So, why is it that all these girls dress up so much? I think that it has a lot to do with society and how we socialize gender. We tell girls that it is acceptable and that they should dress up to impress guys. Yet, guys can dress down and be comfortable and still impress girls. This is the definition of double standard. Another thing that I can’t comprehend are heels. Why do women put themselves through that? Is it because society says that by wearing heels it makes your butt or calves look better? So, in order to achieve the perfect look women put themselves through uncomfortable situations because they want to look good for a man. Personally, to me this feels like objectification. Women are treated more as objects than as human beings. In fact, in my discussion group we had a conversation about women at parties. The question that was asked was something along the lines of “Do you see her as a piece of ass?” When referring to a female who was considered “promiscuous”. Promiscuous or not aren’t we all just human beings? And how come we never refer to guys as “a piece of ass”, but just as guys? These are some very big inequalities that are embedded into our culture. After seeing the “Needy Penis” lecture I felt even more bothered by this idea that women go to extreme lengths to dress up and men just wear what is comfortable. Last night when I saw women that were freezing while trying to make their way to a party, I couldn’t help but think Why? Why do they feel the need to do that? There are certain occasions where I think it is definitely appropriate to dress up. However, a frat party just doesn’t seem to make the list for me. You wouldn’t dress up to go to a dinner if you knew it was a casual affair, so what makes this any different? It is high time we put a stop to trying to look good for others, and dress how we want, in a way thats comfortable for us. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 14:46:42 +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/#IDComment139382920 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137620431 I am a white female and personally I have no problem dating a black guy. I grew up having friends of all different races from all different backgrounds. I never say my friends as being white or black or asian or irish, I always just saw them as my friends. People sometimes tell me that maybe because I have grown up in such a diverse atmosphere that it has influenced me to think in a certain way but even if it has I have always believed and I will always believe that who you like has nothing to do with the color of one’s skin. I can’t help who I am attracted to and skin color does not play a role in that at all. I am attracted to both white and black guys, I see skin color as the amount of melanin in one’s skin. (Which is exactly what it is) And so I do not let it impact who I do or do not date. I think that interracial couples are great and there is absolutely nothing wrong with being in an interracial relationship. In fact, it is high time that society stops making such a big deal out of interracial couples. Although in the past, it may have been rare and looked down upon, we have come a long way and race should not matter. However, one question I have about interracial couples is if we have really come such a long way then why don’t we see more interracial couples? In our society the majority of couples stay inside their own race when dating. This really hit home with me when I polled my friends. I asked about five of my friends if they would date someone outside of their race. Three out of the five said they would not. I was absolutely shocked by their responses. I did not realize how big of a deal interracial couples still are. Many of my friends said the reason they would not date outside of their race is because their parents would not approve. They said that their parents have strong feelings about dating outside their race and that they would be highly uncomfortable with even the idea of it. However, I think that this is a really bad message to send to their kids because it quietly reinforces age-old inequalities. It also sends the message that one race is superior to another, and to date a different race would be dating down. When I think of being in a relationship there are three things that are really important to me. First, the person has to have a good sense of humor. Without humor life is no fun at all. Second, I have to be attracted to the person and they have to be nice, smart, and driven. Third, I want to be able to be myself and feel comfortable with the person I am with. Those are the qualities that I am looking for when I sign up to date someone. Whoever can meet my requirements is the one for me, white or black. The question of race, is never one I have to ask myself. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:41:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-do-you-think-about-interracial-relationships-119-blog/#IDComment137620431 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-do-you-feel-about-the-poor-white-society-and-who-are-you-more-likely-to-help-119-blog/#IDComment135384954 In American society there is a large disparity between the amount of income attained by the wealthy and the poor. Statistics have shown that the top twenty percent of people receive 50% of income, whereas the bottom twenty percent only receive 3.4 percent of the total income. So there is undoubtedly a large proportion of poor people in America. Often times people associate being poor with negative connotations. Specifically, poor white people are often referred to as “white trash.” I think that this is wrong and unfair. An individuals economic position has no effect on the content of their character. Being poor and of a certain race does not mean that you are trash. Personally, I am a white person who probably falls somewhere in the middle class, however I do not look down upon poor people. I recognize that people may be poor due to the choices they have made OR it could be because of forces and factors that are out of their control. No matter the reason, it is not ok to poke fun at people because of their economic position. It seems as if the white poor people have been targeted and society has made it acceptable for that specific group to be poked fun at and looked down upon. I believe that it correlates with white superiority. White people have always been the group that has been privileged. So, when there are white people who are leading a life that other white people deem as “inferior” then they yet again, find a way to separate themselves from that specific group. Hence, we have the term “white trash” When it comes to the issue of helping people, my stance is that if someone around me needs help then I will do my best to try and give them the assistance that they need. Race does not have an effect on if/who I would help. I am just as likely to help a white person as I am an black, brown, red, or yellow person. For instance, if I was walking down a hallways and someone dropped all of their papers everywhere no matter what color their skin may be I would without hesitation go over to them and help them retrieve their papers. It is a natural human instinct to reach out and help when someone is in need. Everyone needs help at a certain point, we should not let the skin color of the individual deter us from lending a helping hand. To me, I view skin color as nothing more than the amount of melanin in one’s skin. Which, technically, is all that it really is. Hopefully, one day everyone will be able to race as it really is, a socially constructed concept, used to create separation, and allow certain groups to dominate. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:16:22 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-do-you-feel-about-the-poor-white-society-and-who-are-you-more-likely-to-help-119-blog/#IDComment135384954 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment133384816 This is a very tough question to answer because on one hand if people want to have children I believe they should be able to, however it is when they have a lot of children and are unable to provide a good quality of life for them,that a problem arises. As we saw from the video Sam showed in class Tammy has 21 brothers and sisters. As we saw Tammy ended up living in poverty. She walks 10 miles every single day to get to her job at Burger King because she does not have a car. Is this due to the choices that Tammy has made(her free will) or is it based on factors and forces outside of her control, such as her parents having 22 children(determinism)? Did growing up with 21 siblings put Tammy at a disadvantage and make it so she did not have the same opportunities available to her as opposed to someone living in a family with five children? Because she had so many siblings was it harder for her parents to devote time to each child to teach them things and help them to grow as individual people? Personally, I am the middle child among five children. I have older brothers, two younger sisters, and two parents with full time jobs. On top of all that we have a house that needs to be cleaned, groceries that need to be bought, dinner that has to be cooked. So, even though my parents had 17 less children than Tammy’s parents, my parents had there hands full with all of these responsibilities. While my parents were able to provide a very high quality of life for me, it is not lost on me how many challenges there are raising and providing for your kids. So, for Tammy’s parents to provide a a good quality of life was probably extremely challenging and chances are they were probably unable to meet everyones needs. Tammy’s family was a rare case because it was such a large family. But what about poor families that have two or three children? Should they have to stop having kids because they are lowest on the totem pole? Personally, I don’t think they should have to. If they can provide a clean environment to live in, proper education, food, and clothing then I think they should be able to have as many kids as they want. However, once they begin to be unable to provide these things I think it is unfair to the child. When it comes to the point where you are unable to provide for the child, that is when it becomes selfish. You don’t need to live in a mansion to provide a good life for a child, you just need a roof over your head, food on the table, and the basic needs of living. The amount of money you have in your bank account has nothing to do with being a good parent. As long as you can provide the basic needs for survival, and be a supportive and loving parent that is all that really matters. Tue, 8 Mar 2011 16:35:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment133384816 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-do-you-feel-about-the-way-people-live-in-america-compared-to-other-places-around-the-world-119-blog/#IDComment130401506 As Americans, compared to the rest of the world, we are quite privileged. Common things that we take for granted such as clean water, electricity, and healthcare may seem small to us, but to other people around the world they are luxuries. I am by no means rich, I would classify myself as being middle-class. However, as Sam said in class I am a part of the 3% of the population that is better off than the other 97%. This is a scary statistic, because it means that the quality of life for 97% of people is not up to par. Even the poorest people in America are much better off than poor people in other countries. At times, I feel guilty because I feel like I have so much compared to others and because of this it enables me to have opportunities that otherwise I would not have. For instance, since I had the opportunity to come to Penn State and further my education, I am opening up many doors for myself. There are kids all over the world, who are just as smart as me, even smarter, yet since they don’t have the resources they will never have the opportunity to go to college. If they don’t have opportunities how are they supposed to better their situation? A few weeks ago my roommate purchased a pair of shoes from TOMS shoes. I had never heard of TOMS before, and I asked her about it. She told me about how there is a huge problem in many countries where children don’t have shoes. This can cause infections, make it impossible to do certain things, and is dangerous. So, by purchasing a pair of shoes through TOMS, they automatically donate a pair of shoes to a child in another country. Not having a pair of shoes, is something that I have never had to worry about. Yet is a serious problem for many people. Imagine walking around Penn State everyday without shoes. Our feet would be dirty, sore, cut up and bruised. We wouldn’t be able to do it. However, there are kids that go without shoes each and everyday. After hearing about this, I decided that a small way I could contribute would be by buying a pair of shoes. Although I may have not made a huge difference, I helped to give the opportunity to one child to own a pair of shoes. There are small things like this that we can do to help out others. So when a situation arises when I can give my time or a donation to help other’s who are less fortunate, I plan on doing it. Because, in the end every little bit helps. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:55:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-do-you-feel-about-the-way-people-live-in-america-compared-to-other-places-around-the-world-119-blog/#IDComment130401506 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/renting-disparities-due-to-race-119-blog/#IDComment128592701 I was shocked by what we learned about the renting disparities between races. In this day and age you would think that inequalities like this would be long gone, unfortunately they are still prevalent in society today. I think that it is awful that renters are wary when it comes to certain races and ethnic groups. The way people live has nothing to do with the color of their skin. Some white people are messy and some black people are messy, some white people have clean houses and some don’t. The point is these factors have nothing to do with what race or ethnicity that people may be. In fact, if you took a stroll down fraternity row and toured the inside of each house, one would probably be horrified. The insides are absolutely disgusting. There are empty beer strewn about everywhere, the floors are sticky from spilled beer, the bathrooms haven’t been cleaned in years, they are simply filthy. The majority of the males that live in fraternities are white. Yet, how come renters don’t have a problem renting to them? These are beautiful houses that become trashed by these fraternities. Is it because the majority of them are white that they have the privilege to live in these houses without anyone questioning them? It seems odd that there aren’t disparities in renting to fraternities considering the conditions of their houses. Why is it acceptable for them to live that way? If the majority of the houses were inhabited by black people or other ethnic groups would they receive violations? These are all tough questions and I am uncertain of the answers. However, I do believe that white privilege plays a large role in why these disparities exist. Along with renting disparities there are also disparities between races in the workforce. In 2004 researchers Betrand and Mullainathan did an experiment for job callbacks for newspaper lastings in Chicago and Boston. They used different racialized names “Emily” and “Greg” and “Lakisha” and “Jamal.” On average they found that “Emilys” and “Gregs” recieved 50% more callbacks. Even for better resumes and high paying jobs “Emilys” and “Gregs” received 30% more callbacks. They found that these numbers did not significantly vary by occupation or industry. Most shocking of all though was their finding that federal contractors who list themselves as “Equal Opportunity Employers” has comparable rates of call backs. So, just because there names were associated with a certain race, it made a difference between who received a callback. Even though “Jamal” and “Lakisha” had a better resume, in some cases it did not make a difference. What made the difference was that there names were associated with a race other than the white race. Both of these disparities in the workplace and in renting are constant reminders that these inequalities exist each and everyday. There is so much work to be done to correct these inequalities and although it may be a tedious fight, it is certainly a fight worth fighting. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 15:57:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/renting-disparities-due-to-race-119-blog/#IDComment128592701 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment126999203 I think that this is a really interesting question because it is something that occurs regularly in our society yet no one really talks about it. In some ways it seems like a double standard. People of other races can get away with making fun of other races yet when a white person does it feels racist. For instance, can you imagine if there was a WET? White Entertainment Television. The world would be outraged, however no one even gives a second thought to the fact that there is a Black Entertainment Television. At first glance this seems sort of unfair. However, if you really think about it, it makes sense. In the history of the world there has only been one race that has never been oppressed based solely on the color of their skin. Clearly, I am talking about the white race. White people have always been the oppressors and throughout history almost every other race has been oppressed by white people. So,I think that when white people try to make a joke or poke fun of other races, people feel uncomfortable because they begin to think about all the atrocities that white people have committed an against other races. As a white person, I would never dream of making fun of or joking about another race. By speaking offensively even if I was joking, since I am white people would automatically assume that I am racist. I am not saying this I am in complete agreement and think that its acceptable for other races to be able to joke about race, I understand why it’s acceptable for them to. I can remember a few years ago, Don Imus a radio personality, made a comment about the Rutgers University Women’s basketball team. He referred to them as “nappy headed hoes”. Immediately he was kicked off the air. Whether he was joking or not his comment was seen as both racist and sexist. It was highly offensive and he had to pay the price. But would the outcome be different if he had been a black man? I do not know the answer to this question. I would hope that if it had been a black man he still would have gotten kicked off the air because that is an offensive statement no matter which race says it. So, while some people may view the fact that only people of other races can joke about race as a double standard., I think that people who are white need to look through a different lens. They need to look through the lens of those from other races. Only then will they begin to understand and realize and accept why this double standard exists. Wed, 9 Feb 2011 22:41:15 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment126999203 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/how-do-you-classify-yourself-119-blog/#IDComment125512264 There are many ways that I would classify myself. Human beings are very complex and I do not believe that we can be pin pointed to one certain group or classification. I have a numerous amount of different qualities and characteristics that comprise of who I am as a person.First, I will start with he classification of what race I am. Although the color of my skin is white I would not solely classify myself by my race. To me, skin color is nothing more than the amount of melanin in your skin. The next most noticeable classification would be my gender. I am a female, which I guess automatically places me into a superior category then those with a Y chromosome. Just kidding. Next we have age. I am eighteen years old so that classifies me as not quite a teenager but certainly not an adult either. I attend Penn State, and I take classes, I stay up late, I eat unhealthy food, and suffer from procrastination, so I guess that classifies me as a college student. I am a member of a seven person family, which makes me a sister and a daughter. My dad is a judge and my mom is therapist, so they certainly do not have the salary of Alex Rodriguez, but they make an amount that comes in somewhere around what would be classified as middle class. My dad is predominantly Italian and my mom is Irish and a mixture of other things, which makes me a culmination of different cultures. All of these characteristics/classifications make up my individual identity.For the majority of the aforementioned characteristics, I did not pick them. I did not choose to be a female, eighteen, a sister or to have white skin, nor did I choose where my ancestors came from. All of these things have been decided for me. So in a way it seems as if our classifications are out of our control. And I guess most of the time it is. We are born into our lives and we cannot choose certain qualities or characteristics about ourselves. However, there are also some classifications that we can choose. For instance I choose to come to college after high school. Not only that but I decided to come to Penn State. Which classifies me as a Nittany Lion. (Much cuter than buckeye) So there are some instances where we are able to choose our classifications, but mostly one will find that our classifications have already been decided for us. However, that being said it extremely hard to define someone solely by their classifications. While our classifications make up a large part of our identity they do not account for all the traits/qualities that each individual has. Wed, 2 Feb 2011 21:39:59 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/how-do-you-classify-yourself-119-blog/#IDComment125512264 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/21/body-image-issues-119-blog/#IDComment124007000 Body image issues are something that everyone deals with throughout the course of a lifetime. We all have certain things that we wish we could change about ourselves, unless of course your Edward Cullen. And lets face the majority of people are not as genetically blessed as him. All kidding aside, it seems as if everywhere we turn there are beauty advertisements which send the message of what is considered to be beautiful. These advertisements then try to get people to buy there products to achieve the look that is being sold in the advertisement. For example, in class Sam showed us the skin-whitening advertisements. The first picture showed the women with darker skin, and then after using the cream their skin became significantly lighter and they were considered “beautiful.” So, when people see all these advertisements about what beauty should look like, it plants the seed for the body image issues they have to become more prevalent. But what if everyone knew that the reason they look the way they do is because it’s hereditary and nothing more than that? Would that make a difference in the way people feel about their bodies? The logical answer to this question is yes it should change the way we feel about our bodies. In fact the reason we have certain features is because our ancestors were able to adapt to their environments, ultimately allowing them to survive. So, not only should we feel good about our bodies but we should be grateful, because if it wasn’t for them, there is no way that we would be sitting here writing blogs for our Soc 119 class. However, even though the logical answer is yes. The real answer happens to be no, it would not change a thing. While knowing that our looks are hereditary helps to explain to us why we look the way we do and why we have certain features, it does not account for the fact that we are living in a world where beauty is a term that society defines, and since the majority of the people in the world do not fit into that definition, people feel as if they constantly have to change themselves in order to fit into the mold that society has created. The rational reasoning for why our noses are shaped a certain way or why our hair is kinky or straight goes out the window when we pick up our monthly issues of Cosmopolitan or Mens Health. We forget that our features are necessary to our survival and become infatuated with trying to be what our culture perceives to be “beautiful.” The reality of it all is that no matter how much makeup or skin lightening or tanning cream we put on, it will not conceal our genetic makeup. We are who we are, and contrary to popular belief, we should appreciate our bodies because in reality all the things about ourselves that we may consider to be flaws, are actually the only reason we are here today. Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:48:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/21/body-image-issues-119-blog/#IDComment124007000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cp%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122678546 soc 119 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:31:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cp%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122678546 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/25/stories-for-uplift/#IDComment122659381 In the world today, the majority of the news that we read, watch, and listen to is negative. It is very rare that the front page of the newspaper is filled with something other than war, murders, or devastations that have occurred. Which is why I really enjoyed these two videos. The first video about the man donating his kidney to the grocery clerk moved me. Dan Coin, the donor did not know or have any ties to this woman other than going down her line at the grocery store. She was not a member of his family, or a friend that he would call to hang out on the weekends. He simply was a customer that went down her line regularly and enjoyed talking to her. While he may have liked her as a person, in no way did he have to give up his kidney for her. Yet he did. Dan Coin did something that not many people would do, and he is an example of extreme kindness and compassion. As a grocery clerk myself, I come across hundreds of different people each day. Some are rude, mean, miserable people. But every now and then I will have a Dan Coin come down my line. Someone who exemplifies kindness and takes the time to ask me how my day is going or helps me load their groceries into a cart. Although they are not offering to give me a kidney, the small acts of kindness go a long way. Although there is a lot of bad in the world it is important to remember that their are also many people like Dan Coin out there. Along with the first video the second video also had a very important message. Although, the little boy and girl were of different races and from different countries, countries that do not get along, they did not allow those factors to get in the way of their feelings. Even though Chinese and Malaysians may have their differences, love has no borders, or colors. These two young children are helping to defy what society says is “correct” and what is “incorrect”. We shouldn’t be discouraged from befriending someone or falling in love with someone just because the color or the skin or the nationality that they are. In reality, as we learned today in class, the color of our skin is the way in which our ancestors adapted to their environment and were able to survive. It is nothing more than that. Those closest to the equator have more melanin in their skins and are darker. Those who are farther from the equator tend to be lighter skinned. If our ancestors had not made these adaptations we would not be here today. These two children are helping to send the message that \\where we are from, what we look like, or what color skin we have, doesn’t mean we can’t befriend or like those who are different from us. Because at the end of the day, when are all just people. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:22:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2010/04/25/stories-for-uplift/#IDComment122659381