en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2402098 Comments by chelseaslavin22 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/why-does-society-dislike-immigrants-and-why-are-they-portrayed-badly-119-blog/#IDComment144597588 To be honest I think immigration is a really touchy subject for a number of reasons. I think the main reason that people dislike immigrants and portray them badly is because a lack of education on the part of society. One of the stereotypes is that immigrants are lazy, uneducated, and take jobs that poor Americans could have. Most people don’t realize what we talked about in class, most immigrants are hard working and just want the same things in life that we do such as freedom, happiness, and the ability to provide for their families. The stereotypes we have as a society contribute to people’s negative outlooks towards immigrants. I think a lot of people have a negative image of immigrants because they worry that they will take jobs that unemployed Americans could have. It’s the same way people feel about outsourcing or companies going out of business because of other companies in foreign countries. People in our society get very defensive and upset when their livelihoods are threatened. Just think about it if you could barely feed your kids to begin with and then your job gets taken by someone who is illegal because they will take less money wouldn’t you be pissed? The funny thing about that is like Sam said in class most people wouldn’t take the jobs that immigrants have regardless of whether they have a job or not. People are also worried that immigrants will eventually take over the country. People are constantly afraid of being kicked out of their position of power. For example some white people might be afraid if Mexicans become the majority in the country the white people will be the minority and they are afraid of that. Plus the infusion of their culture and traditions scare people. They need to be more accepting of different culutres What people really need to realize is that at one point we are all immigrants. Like we talked about in class each one of us has family that immigrated here from somewhere else and we need to realize the strength and courage it takes to come over here. Maybe if we understood that we could understand immigrants better. Another perspective that would help us understand immigrants would be to look at it from the point of view of Native Americans. Technically our ancestors took their land and used it as their own killing their people along the way. If we all just took the time to try and understand each other a little more maybe we wouldn’t have these unnecessary harsh feelings toward immigrants. Between stereotypes and fears that immigrants will push the dominant majority out of power and out of jobs people have developed these harsh and unfair feelings towards immigrants. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:23:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/why-does-society-dislike-immigrants-and-why-are-they-portrayed-badly-119-blog/#IDComment144597588 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/#IDComment143003135 For me it is shocking and really sad to hear that schools are more segregated today than the 70’s. I have to say that I wasn’t necessarily surprised to hear that though. I grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh. The town was well off full of doctors and lawyers and businessmen. The school I went to was predominantly white. Out of 350 kids in my graduating class only 2 were Black 3 were Asian and there were no Hispanics in my grade. The thing is the majority of schools around my area had a similar makeup of students. So for me it wasn’t a shocking statistic to hear; when I look at it my school was pretty segregated. I think for the most part way back when people ended up just living where they were most comfortable and that was around people of a similar socio-economic status and race. That way all the houses looked the same and the cars they drove were that same to me it seems like people are comfortable with fitting in. So anyways that led to the segregation of schools today people live near people that are like them and then schools started becoming segregated more and more as people tried to fit this mold. I don’t really know if this makes sense but to me it seems schools are segregated by race but also by socioeconomic status. Now that schools are segregated along those lines schools are not getting sufficient funding so kids don’t get sufficient education. I guess that was sort of a tangent but it’s my theory if you will. The fact that schools are more segregated today worries me because it deprives children of many opportunities that they could learn and benefit from. Children today are being deprived of lessons in cultural diversity. This deprivation I think leads to intolerance and things like racism and stereotyping. Kids don’t understand other cultures because they weren’t exposed to other cultures in school so they perpetuate these stereotypes and hostile feeling towards those of other races. Like it was said today in class kids go all through life not having contact with other races then they come to college and they don’t know what to do or how to interact and it is really sad. Being deprived of other cultural experiences as a child because of school segregation can lead to people being uneducated as adults and not knowing how to interact with others. No wonder stereotypes exist; people aren’t exposed to one another until later in life; they know virtually nothing about other cultures so all they have to rely on for information is stereotypes. I think for our society it means that we are uneducated and only perpetuating stereotypes of other cultures and we need to make more of an effort to understand one another. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:43:10 +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/#IDComment143003135 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment140795586 About 6 months ago my cousin came back from Afghanistan. Ian is in the Air Force and was in was of the more dangerous parts of the country building up bases. I do realize that he wasn’t in combat, which is a relief for my family, so it could have been a lot worse. But for me the war means something a little different than to most who don’t know someone in the military. I remember him skyping my family when we were on vacation and he was obviously upset. He asked if he could talk to my dad, which never happens. He told my dad that he had been out surveying and the truck that they brought was ambushed. Luckily he was ok but it made me sad to hear that things like this had to happen. Even though my cousin was in the war and I have bad feelings toward terrorism I never grouped all Muslims together saying they were all terrorists. The class on Tuesday really made me look at the war from a different perspective one that I would never had looked at. The things said before class were really hateful but at the same time can I blame them? The class today did make me look at the war in a different light but I can’t say that I feel differently about terrorism. What happened not only on September 11th but all over the world was horrific. I know that the majority of Muslims have nothing to do with the attacks. The terrorists to me are a disgrace and put a bad name on Muslims all over the world. It’s just like extremists in the United States; they put a bad name on certain religions and political parties etc. After the class I started to see what the Muslims see when they look at Americans. The exercise where we pictured the Chinese taking our coal made me see the situation through their eyes. It’s not fair that the superpowers especially the U.S. thinks it is ok to take what is rightfully theirs. I would be mad too if someone treated us like that. It makes sense that Muslims have one opinion of us because we as Americans see them in one light; the negative image that is perpetuated by the media and the government. Even though I see where their image of the United States is coming from I still don’t support the actions of the terrorists. To me they are still terrorists and will never be more than that. They are people that killed innocent people and ruined the lives of many people across the world. I guess it is a little hypocritical to say that because we are killing innocent people in their country. It’s really a hard situation to look at and there are so many facets that go into it that it is hard to make an assumption. Thu, 7 Apr 2011 18:27:52 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment140795586 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/#IDComment139016047 I’m that girl who gets dressed up when I go out. Now I don’t go all out I like to think I have a good mix; I look cute but not slutty like most girls I see. After we had that talk in class it really put into perspective the reasons why I dress up. I never really thought of the reasons why I dress up. I guess I always assumed that I dressed up because I wanted to but that isn’t really the case. It’s a standard that is set that to look good, which leads to feeling good, you have to wear skirts and heel and put on makeup and do your hair. But let me tell you it isn’t comfortable. The heels hurt, although I don’t wear them that much because I am tall, and as a girl the skirt is always riding up and you’re constantly worrying about your hair and makeup. For men it is so much easier. They don’t have to put on makeup, shave their legs, and wear uncomfortable clothes. Most of the time it’s like they don’t even care what they look like when they walk out the door. After having the discussion today I really realized that it’s men standards that make women dress up. No woman would ever choose to wear heels and spend hours on hair and makeup. Honestly the discussion today made me look at the reasons I do things but I probably will still dress the same way and get ready. For me I think that society will never change so I will never change. It’s become part of society for women to dress up and men to not to. It’s what is expected of women. As long as dressing up is the standard most women will partake in it. I think it is partially because they know that is what men want. Men set this standard and for the most part women want to please men so subconsciously we do want you want. I think it’s unfair but it is the way the world works. Before this discussion I would have probably looked at girls who didn’t dress up funny. It’s just against the social norm. Although sometimes I respect it because they aren’t giving in to the pressures of society. Now I think I will respect people who don’t dress up even more because they aren’t giving in to the pressures that men put on women. I really don’t even think that men realize that they put this pressure on women. It has become so engrained in our society that men and women both don’t realize that it is happening. Women have now accepted that men make them dress up and they control sex in the relationship. It’s sad to see and I can admit that I have accepted it. The only way this will change is if society changes which will never happen. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 04:49:49 +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/#IDComment139016047 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137075975 I love that this question and topic was brought up in class. I’m the friend that anytime a black guy walks by at a party my friends are trying to set me up with him. So yes obviously I would date a black guy. For me it doesn’t really matter about race when it comes to dating it’s more of a case-by-case thing. If we get along and we’re attracted to each other than what does the race matter? My family has never told me who I can and cannot date. Like my mom says “ I don’t care what race is he as long as he treats you well.” My uncle who is obviously white is married to black woman so as far as my fathers side of the family they could care less the race of the man I date. I think my mom’s side of the family would be a different story. My grandparents might have an issue but they would never say anything to me so I don’t really care. I’m going to like who I want to like regardless of what they think. I was brought up in a mainly white town so it wasn’t until college that I could figure out if I would date across the color lines. I have absolutely no problem admitting to people that I like black guys. Anytime I say that especially in the presence of white guys I get this weird reaction. I’ve been asked a couple of times “ Oh so that means you don’t like white guys?” I’m not sure why people don’t understand that you can like men from all races you don’t have to pick just one. Why do people especially white men assume that if you like black guys you’re not into them? That’s absolutely not true. Another reaction that I get when people find out I like black guys is white girls will admit to me that they also like black guys. I’ve had girls come up and whisper to me oh I wanted to tell you I like black guys too like it’s a secret or something. Probably because of my family upbringing I’ve never kept my interest of other races a secret. I think that is one of the reasons that a lot of white girls like black guys or guys of any other race because it’s kinda like breaking the rules especially if you come from a family doesn’t support dating across the color lines. It’s a new, fun experience that feels rebellious like breaking away from their family. For me I would date a black guy just because I’m attracted to black guys. I think for me there is masculinity with black guys that I like. Everyone has their preferences but for me race doesn’t matter as much as it does for others. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:01:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/for-the-white-females-would-you-ever-date-a-black-guy-119-blog/#IDComment137075975 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135672510 This question really had made me think. When we talked about white guilt in class I started to look into myself . I grew up in an upper middle class white suburb. In my class of 350 there were only at most 5 minorities. Regardless of that fact I never considered myself sheltered when it came to race; my parents exposed me to other races and never had a problem with any race. Now that I look back I would say that I didn’t have as much experience with other races as I thought. And because of that it never led me to feel guilty about my race. I guess I always assumed that the way I lived was the norm. Now that I have taken this class it makes me feel that white guilt that we have talked about. I really realize the magnitude of things that whites have done to minorities in the past. In high school I realized it but the injustices were words in a textbook. Now it’s more real and powerful for me. Now that I realize what has been done in the past I feel guilty about it. On top of that talking about white privilege makes me feel guilty. It’s another thing that I hadn’t really realized its magnitude until this class. I think it is extremely unfair that I could have been given opportunities over someone else because I am white. It makes me mad that things like white privilege exist and it makes me feel guilty. I think my anger towards things like white privilege and racism and guilt about my race identify with the Revisioning stage. The guilt is a key trait in the revisioning stage. I’m not sure what stage I would technically be in. It’s hard to look at myself and identify with a stage. Part of me doesn’t want to be guilty about my race though. I’m not trying to flip flop but I want to explore and see the validity in both sides of the argument. I can’t control the fact that I am white I was born this way. Also I don’t agree with white privilege. It isn’t fair that that society has decided that whites get preferential treatment on thing like jobs schools and sometimes just daily treatment. That might sound rude or self-centered but I can’t control the way people treat me and I never will be able to. So in the end I can feel both ways at the same time. Part of me feels guilty because of the injustices that have happened in the past and that continue to happen today and part of me knows that I can’t control what race I am or how I am treated so I don’t feel guilty. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:52:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135672510 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/#IDComment131670118 Part three: For some people like Tammy for example a lack of education may play into the fact that she had so many kids. Like I said earlier she doesn’t know any better. She learned from her parents that having more kids is the way to go and that is how she lives her life. I also think if people were more educated on things like birth control than maybe they will realize they have options and prevention. I just think a lot of this has to do with Tammy’s culture or the culture of her family. Tue, 1 Mar 2011 19:16:38 +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/#IDComment131670118 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/#IDComment131670068 Part Two: On the other hand I agree with the perspective that if you can’t give the child a decent upbringing you shouldn’t have a ton of children. Children don’t get to choose which family they are born into so how is it fair that you are bringing a child into the world when you can’t provide the basic necessities for them. I tend to feel a little more strongly toward this side of the argument now that we learned more about determinism. According to determinism the children who are born into poor families have less of a chance making it in the world. So for these kids it’s not fair to not have a chance. I don’t want to say that it is selfish for people of a lower income or social status to have children. Everyone has the right to have a child that is your choice. I think people should consider their lifestyle and how well they can provide for a child before they bring them into the world. Tue, 1 Mar 2011 19:16:25 +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/#IDComment131670068 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/#IDComment131669995 Part one:I think this question is sort of tricky; I don’t want to sit here and judge anyone’s lifestyle but we are all prone to doing it. I felt bad for Tammy because a lot of her circumstances seemed out of her control. The life that she grew up in taught her to be the way she is. She grew up with 21 brothers and sisters so I feel like that was a norm for her. For her it was normal to have four children on such a low income. She never really knew anything else; if that makes sense. On one hand I can see the perspective that for her and her parents it’s their choice on how many kids they want to have. No one can tell them what to do. If they feel that they can provide for those kids then good for them; only they truly know their circumstances. Who are we to say who should and should not have children? For many people having children is something they look forward to and take pride in. It’s none of our business to take away that right and that privilege. I do think there comes a time where people should step in. Tue, 1 Mar 2011 19:15:58 +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/#IDComment131669995 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/#IDComment130146904 Part 3:I honestly don’t think there is much that we can do about this. Our economic status as Americans won’t be equal to that of other nations unless other nations better themselves in an economic sense. These countries need to become economically independent to come to the standards of the U.S. economy. I think the best thing would be to educate the American people. Before this class I never knew that Americans are so much better off than other countries. If people knew about this they may think about how fortunate they are. People may be more willing to help people who are less fortunate. People may realize how much wealth they have and be willing to share their wealth with others. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:30:07 +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/#IDComment130146904 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/#IDComment130146865 Part 2: We have more opportunities than most countries to get a good education, get a job and live the life that we want. (I am aware that according to determinism people don’t have a choice when it comes to the matter). But as I see it Americans are afforded more opportunity than most of the world. For example in some countries women aren’t supposed to be enrolled in school and college isn’t an option for anyone. The one thing that I do think of is this fact in terms of American standards. People in America may have more money than people in other nations but still they still might not be able to afford the American lifestyle. There are tons of people in America living on the streets not able to afford a meal. In general they may have more money than someone in Africa but I’m sure that doesn’t make them feel any better about their situation. There are people in America living in cars, on the street, and don’t have access to water. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:29:57 +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/#IDComment130146865 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/#IDComment130146643 Part One: I really like this question because it is a great thing to think about. As Sam said in class even the poorest people in American are richer than 97% of people around the world. That really got me thinking. It almost makes me feel guilty, all the times that I have complained that I didn’t get something just seems ridiculous now. It really has changed my perspective on how I live my life. After learning about this it made me see how much Americans take for granted. Even simple things like taking a shower, having clean water to drink are taken advantage of every day. Many people around the nation don’t have the luxury of clean water to drink let alone to shower. This point just makes me grateful for what we have and all of the opportunity we are given in the United States. Also the fact that we do have so much more than other countries gives us more opportunities. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:29:02 +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/#IDComment130146643 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128415263 I think that the more we explore and learn and get into the world the less we feel that our hard work got us to where we are today and leads to our success. I agree with your statement that when we are younger we have less contact with the king of the mountain theory. For me the realization that it’s not all hard work that got me to where I was really developed in college or late in my high school career. I think early high school teachers stressed the importance of getting good grades and studying for the SAT’s if you want to get into a good college. Hard work was really an emphasis in my high school; the more you studied and the more activities you were involved with the better chance you had to go to college. In turn how hard you worked in college would determine your job. The more that I am here I realize that hard work isn’t all that matters. Like we talked about in class, in college it is really stressed that the people you know and the connections you have can make or break you. I really get this feeling of importance from networking more than getting good grades and working hard. For example today it is really important to get internships in most fields, I feel like it’s preached over and over that you won’t do much at your internship but that’s not the point the point is to meet people and get your name out there. Now obviously you have to do a good job but knowing people is still very important. I also think that social status is important and closely linked to meeting people. The more money your family has the more opportunities you have to make good connections. The thing I find interesting is that I find that educated people in our generation are more likely to admit that success is not so much hard work but our parent’s generation believes that success is a result of hard work. For me I think it has to do a lot with the fact that educated people want to believe hard work equals success because they want to think that their education means something. I mean seriously I want to believe that all the work that I am putting in now will be the deciding factor in my success; it makes college feel like it is really worth it. Especially for our parent’s generation a lot of them lived lifestyles that weren’t as privileged as ours; they had more siblings so the money had to stretch further. So if I asked my mom or dad they would say that they had to put in a ton of hard work to achieve the success they have today; they didn’t have the opportunity to as many connections. I guess it is just how you look at it. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:55:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment128415263 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127002268 I really enjoy this question because this whole discussion has really made me think about my life in terms of the choices I made and determinism. I like to sit here and think that I chose to go to college, I made good decisions in high school to get me into Penn State, and the work I put in got me here. I still do think that is true, I mean if I didn’t put in any effort I wouldn’t be here. But, the discussion on Tuesday really made me wonder, how did I get here. I was brought up in a privileged community. We had great schools, great opportunities, and my parents gave me everything I needed to succeed. If I needed a tutor I got it, SAT classes I got it, private dance classes I got it. I believe that the amount of money my parents make and their socio-economic status has helped me get into Penn state. Like we talked about in class the more money you make the better your SAT score. I think that the determinism has played a large role in my life but that isn’t to say that I haven’t made decisions that impacted my life. If I never studied, didn’t put any effort in, I wouldn’t be at Penn State today. Now saying that I do believe that I got where I am today partially because of determinism and because of who my parents are I have to factor in the choices that are made. If I leave my success up to determinism than someone had to make choices to get me here right? I believe that my father had to make choices to get to where he was today. Both of my parents grew up in relatively poor families. Each had five siblings and had jobs by the time they were 11. My father made the decision that he was going to go to college. He was one of two of his 4 brothers that went to college. After college he went to grad school at Pitt. Like he likes to tell me it was an accelerated program that went all year round. He chose this program because it was less money and less time for him to spend in school. The professors told him that no one has ever passed the program while working a job. My father managed to work as a delivery boy while going through grad school because he needed the money. All the while my mother was working as a dental hygienist to help pay off my father’s school loans. Long story short my father worked hard to get where he is today. He worked his way to success by making the decision to better his life. I think that the choices that my father has made and my family before him to better their lives has gotten them where they are today and that in turn has affected my life and helped me get to where I am today. Personally I think determinism and free will go hand in hand. Both have affected me and how I got to Penn State. Wed, 9 Feb 2011 23:00:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127002268 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/do-you-describe-yourself-differently-in-other-countries/#IDComment125790914 After thinking about it I would say that I definitely do the same thing. When people in America ask me what I am or where I am from I answer Irish and German (Ireland, Germany). I assume that since we are in American people automatically know that I am first and foremost an American. Which is kinda funny because there are many people who aren’t or wouldn’t consider themselves American here in the United States. I took a trip to France in high school and when people would ask me where I was from or what my nationality is from I would answer American. It’s weird that we do that but I guess the reasoning behind that is I really wouldn’t consider myself a German or an Irishmen. Honestly I would just feel like a dumb ass if I was in France and I told people I was Irish and an actual person from Ireland came up to me and asked where from. People in other countries would classify us as American not Irish/ German/Italian etc. They really don’t care about our heritage to them we are all just Americans. The funny thing is that when I was in France my friends and I were sitting at a café having lunch just talking. That’s when a French couple leaned over and asked us where we were from. They said they had a bet going; one thought we were American and one thought we we’re English. To us being American that was completely insane we don’t even sound remotely British. But that goes to show that for most cultures people just seem similar they don’t really delve into our backgrounds. That goes back to what Sam was saying about the students who studied abroad in Africa. The African people didn’t consider what Americans would consider “Black” African. They could automatically pick them out and differentiate them from the people of their country. When it comes to comparing cultures people are good at differentiating people from their own culture but not other nations against each other. One thing I do think is interesting is that some people are much more intense about their culture than others. I think that has to do with what generation you are and how present your culture is in your life. For example I have a friend who is a 3rd or 4th generation Greek. She has never lived in Greece. When you ask her her nationality she says she’s Greek but she also doesn’t identify as white. She will make fun of white people but to me I would classify her as white. When I asked her well aren’t you white she replied no I’m Greek. Well if your Greek then I’m not white I’m Irish and German. I’m sure if she went to another country she would identify as Greek regardless. It may just be the way that I was brought up in my culture but I would definitely say that I was Irish in American but that I was American in other nations. Thu, 3 Feb 2011 23:58:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/do-you-describe-yourself-differently-in-other-countries/#IDComment125790914 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/21/body-image-issues-119-blog/#IDComment124217737 Honestly I think that even if we knew our appearance was hereditary we would still worry about out body image issues. I think societies issues with our bodies come from many different outlets one of the biggest being the media. Also the fact that most people already know that most of the characteristics of their body are hereditary. For example most people know that their weight, height, hair color and facial features are hereditary. For the most part we look like our families if not like our parents and people still aren’t happy with what they see. Most of our traits are biological and we still can’t seem to come to terms with our appearance. People are constantly trying to lose weight and dye their hair regardless of knowing that those traits are hereditary and they link us to our family. The thing I think is alarming is why are people trying to change themselves when they do look like their family. It’s almost like people are trying to disassociate with their families. For example like the women in Asia getting eyelid surgery or people using skin-bleaching creams. People all over the world are trying to stray away from one of the things that connect them to their families and their heritage; their appearance. To me it’s a really scary phenomenon that is happening all over the world in big and small ways. Even losing weight, coloring your hair or wishing to be shorter is taking away from your identity and your connection to your family (speaking of appearance). Now if people knew that their appearance and body served a purpose they might not be as hard on themselves. Sounds simple and stupid but if girls knew that their love handles or nose size or hair color served some sort of purpose like keeping us warm or helping us breathe better than maybe people wouldn’t be so hard on their bodies. The only way that would work though was if everyone was on the same page including the media. The media is the stem for the majority of body image issues. The media decides what hair color looks best, what facial features are desirable, what clothes to wear, and what weight is acceptable. For years the media has been telling us what look is best; even things that have changed with the years like shaving your legs or face have been perpetuated by the media. Even if we knew that our traits were hereditary of served some sort of purpose the media would still be telling us what is beautiful and what is handsome. It’s scary to think that the media has such an impact on us but that is just the way it is. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:30:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/21/body-image-issues-119-blog/#IDComment124217737 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122639009 With these two girls it is definitely hard to tell their race at first glance. Normally I would say that both of these girls are black and of some African heritage. The last two days of this class have really taught me to look outside the box and take a deeper look at people in general. I have to admit that before this class I never took a deeper look into race. I would notice someone's race but not the complexities of other's nationalities. In my opinion the woman on the left looks like she could be mixed; I would guess some African heritage and some European heritage. Her nose looks more European but her skin complexion looks mixed. I would say she is African looking at her skin tone especially after learning that people near the equator tend to have darker skin because of the sun’s position. Looking at her eyes she may have some Asian heritage. The woman on the right looks more Asian to me looking at her eyes and her nose. I would guess Asian because in class we learned that Asian’s have smaller eyes to protect them from arid climate and their noses like African’s can be larger because of the air. Her skin color and lips look to be of more African heritage. Each of them has the potential to have Indian blood. Overall, I don’t think that these girls are related; I mean they could be but I would have to guess no. This class has really opened me up to talking about issues regarding race. Before this class I wouldn’t ever notice someone’s race let alone be open and comfortable enough to classify his or her race. This question goes along with the exercise we did in class regarding putting people into different racial categories. My first thought of the exercise was that it was really awkward but that’s what I love about this class; racial issues are put out in the open for everyone to talk about and not feel awkward about it. That exercise as well as this blog post really showed me how much I don’t know about race and how we initially put people into racial categories. I really think it’s amazing that the two girls who put people into categories and the people who were put into categories they really handled it gracefully and did a great job considering how awkward that can be. It does feel weird putting these two women into categories and doing the same in class. I get the purpose of this exercise but it’s almost like were going against what we are being taught. We are putting people into racial categories based on skin color or facial features when we are trying to learn to be more accepting of people. In the end no matter how awkward or confusing I think these two activities were really interesting and useful. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:28:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122639009 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cs%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment120928780 Soc 119 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:25:25 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cs%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment120928780