en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3081017 Comments by ecb5046 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170512262 Nepotism is all around me. I hear about, experience it, and see it every day. Most of my friends have received their first jobs because of nepotism. Some even were accepted into certain colleges because of nepotism. I’ve grown up being taught that nepotism is normal, “It’s about who you know!” Everyone says, “It’s all about who you know.” For instance, the other day I sent in a job application. I told my parents, “Mom–I sent in my application today.” She responded, “That’s great honey, try and find someone who may know someone at the company. Even though I know you’re qualified, you get jobs based on who you know.” When she said that it really bothered me. I felt I was qualified for the job and if I wasn’t then I did not want to get the job. Why do I need to try and find someone who will convince the hiring manager to hire me? I want to EARN my first job. Soon after this encounter I watched our lecture on affirmative action and nepotism and almost laughed. While everyone is arguing and throwing up their fists that affirmative action is unfair, they aren’t even looking in the mirror at the advantages they are given as a result of nepotism. I bet every person who has argued against affirmative action has benefited from nepotism. Yet, when push comes to shove, they aren’t yelling that nepotism provides an unfair advantage to people who are sometimes unqualified for a job. People don’t argue about things that benefit them–that’s why no one talks about nepotism. People should earn jobs because they qualified, not because their mother knows the man whose son is the CEO of a company. What does that have to do with being qualified for a job? It’s not fair to all of the people who work hard, get internships, and build their resumes to apply for jobs they are qualified for. I thought Sam brought up a great point about affirmative action–it doesn’t mean people who are unqualified are getting jobs they are unqualified for, it simply means, employers are making sure that they are looking at all candidates equally. Another part of the lecture I thought was interesting was that most of the people who benefit from affirmative action are WHITE WOMEN. Most of my friends who argue against affirmative action are WHITE WOMEN who have most likely benefited either directly or indirectly from affirmative action. Yet, they don’t complain about the job they just got through a friend of a friend (nepotism). People get so stuck in their own minds they forget to look at issues from other perspectives. Instead of complaining about affirmative action, they should think about any advantage they have received that was not EARNED. But for some reason people don’t like to get outside of their comfort zone and learn about issues. Overall, this class has been a great learning experience and I have enjoyed it thoroughly. It has forced me to get outside of myself and examine issues first hand. It has also taught to me QUESTION–question everything I hear, everything I am taught, and everything I am told is true. Most of the things I have been told are not true, which I learned very quickly in this class. Thu, 7 Jul 2011 03:21:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170512262 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170508532 When I think about affirmative action, I usually think of black people. This is because most arguments I hear from white people usually begin with, "It's not fair that black people getting special treatments etc..." I never stopped to think about how many women, let alone, WHITE women benefit from affirmative action. Ironically, many of my friends who argue that affirmative action is “not fair” are women! Although I do not think it is fair to give someone a benefit or advantage solely based on some identified criteria, as with affirmative action, something has to be done to create more equal opportunity. Then, I thought about how unfair nepotism is. Every day, people are getting jobs they are not qualified for over others because of nepotism. How do you even attempt to stop nepotism? It is such a widespread and accepted practice that I cannot imagine it will stop anytime soon. There is so much inequality in society, sometimes it's hard to decide what is necessary and what is not. Overall, we, as a society, need to stop taking advantage of nepotism and EARNING jobs in order for it to become less accepted. But how do convince people to stop using their contacts? It’s almost impossible. Thu, 7 Jul 2011 03:04:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170508532 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168176820 Sam brought up a great point about homophobia–why would you be passionate about something that does not affect you? I hope one day people will stop caring about issues that do not affect them! I took a class in high school about inequality, and we were discussing LGBT issues. A kid spoke up and said, “I just don’t agree with it. It’s a huge religious issue for me.” My teacher then replied, “Give me three ways in which a gay or lesbian couple walking down the street DIRECTLY affects you?” The kid then stuttered and finally became quite–he had nothing to say. Similar to your point–if it doesn’t affect you, learn to accept differences and be a compassionate, caring individual. Everyone is allows to have their own beliefs about LBGT issues, but if they do not personally affect you and your life, then it shouldn’t matter. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:58:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168176820 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168175448 I really enjoyed this lecture because it reinforced a lot of my own thoughts and beliefs regarding LGBT issues. First of all, in terms of religion, I loved the vegetable analogy. If you are very religious and do not support homosexuality, that is fine, but you must hold all sins as equal, similar to how all of the vegetables, although different, were all vegetables. I happen to be Catholic, but during mass two years ago my priest read off a list of “sins” and actually said, “If you are gay, you will go to hell.” From that moment on, my entire perspective on my religion changed. How could my church, which is about love and caring, be so hateful? Personally, I do not think “God” judges anyone. Although I am straight, I was very offended and upset with my priest and my religion that day. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to be homosexual, so why would anyone willingly choose that lifestyle? They wouldn’t, and like Sam said, “How can you hide something that a part of who you are?” For the past fifteen years, many of my family members have speculated that my Aunt is a lesbian. However, my father’s side of the family is extremely “WASPY,” and conservative and does talk or acknowledge “differences.” Therefore, no one talks about the fact that my aunt is a 55-year-old woman who lives with her “friend” named Jan. They have a house together, share a dog, and travel together to family functions. I often wonder why my aunt does not come out of the closet, or discuss her relationship with Jan because my entire family has embraced it. We love Jan and support my aunt and we only want them to be happy. I wonder if my aunt is afraid to talk about it with my grandmother, because my grandmother is pretty straight edge, but CLEARLY my grandmother knows. A part of me feels sad that my aunt isn’t comfortable talking about it, but maybe she doesn’t want to talk about it because her sexuality does not define her. Then again, I don’t openly initiate discussion regarding my sexuality or love interests at family gatherings, so why should she? Overall, this lecture reinforced a lot of my own opinions on LGBT issues. It’s funny how once you begin to break down the stereotypes and negative assumptions their foundations begin to dissolve. I also thought it was ironic that many people who are homophobic experience more homophobic feelings than those who are not. It makes sense–why would you be so passionate about something that does not affect you? I hope one day people will stop caring about issues that do not affect them! I took a class in high school about inequality, and we were discussing LGBT issues. A kid spoke up and said, “I just don’t agree with it. It’s a huge issue for me.” My teacher then replied, “Give me three ways in which a gay or lesbian couple walking down the street DIRECTLY affects you?” The kid then stuttered and finally became quite–he had nothing to say. That is my point exactly–if it doesn’t affect you, learn to accept differences and be a compassionate, caring individual. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 03:51:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168175448 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/#IDComment165535445 I completely agree. As I mentioned in my post, when I was little I wanted an American Girl doll. Out of the ten dolls, I selected the once that looked the most similar to me–white with brown hair. So, to see those black children select the doll that was least similar to them, made me so upset. It really brought to light to fact that children are being socialization at a young age to believe that “white” is good and “black” is bad. As a society, we need to realize this and start doing things to change it. I wonder if the roles were reversed and I was brought up believing that “white” was bad and “black” was good if that would have affected my identity. I know it would have. Then I wonder how it would have affected my conscious as I moved through my life. Would I feel inferior? Bad? Less than someone else? And, how would that affect my perceptions of race and what it means to be white? The scary part is that young children to do consciously understand why they select a certain doll. They are too young to understand the concept of race and/or race relations, so they grow up believe something about themselves that is wrong. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:36:42 +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/#IDComment165535445 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/#IDComment165533871 This lecture was really interesting to me because I never realized that people go through stages of racial identity. And, I never realized that white people and black people and other minorities transition through different stages at different times. The most important thing is that you cannot get angry at someone who is at a different stage than you. You can be frustrated, but you have to understand that racial identity is a process, and everyone has different experiences that shape their outlooks on race. Instead, I try and educate people about the information I learn in this class. The most eye-opening part of the lecture was the video associating white with good and black with bad. When Sam claimed that a girl had conducted a video where she placed a black doll and a white doll in front of black children and asked them to select which one they like better, I automatically assumed they would select the black baby. As a child, I loved American girl dolls. There a many different American Girl dolls¬–white, black, Indian, Asia, blonde haired, brown haired, and black haired etc. Looking back, I selected the one that looked most like me–white with brown hair. It’s not to say I didn’t like the other dolls, but I wanted the doll that I related to, the one that looked like me. I assumed the black children would want the same. I never realized how society portrays “black” and “white.” It was sad for me to watch the children select the white doll, because I loved having a doll that looked like me. But, then I asked myself, why didn’t I choose the Black or Asian doll? Did I understand my choice at the time? If I had seen a black doll with dark brown hair, and a white doll with blonde hair, which would I have chosen? I’m white, but I have brown hair. I don’t know why I can’t get that video out of my mind, I still think about it today. How could we as a society, develop these stereotypes and perceptions that are so strong they influence children? If I grew up thinking (consciously or unconsciously) that my skin color was associated with “bad” and others kids’ skin color was associated with “good,” how would that have affected my identity? These are questions I am dealing with now. Overall, this lecture really opened my eyes to what it means to see the world through the eyes of someone who is black. Wed, 22 Jun 2011 20:31:06 +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/#IDComment165533871 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/#IDComment164426477 I also enjoyed the part of the lecture that discussed racial identifiers. Before Sam brought it up, I have never thought about racial identifies. When friends would share stories that began with “…this white lady,” or “this Asian man,” I never thought twice about it. Now, I realize that racial identifies serve no purpose except to spread prejudices and create stereotypes. Why do people feel the need to use them? Do the think it makes their stories more interesting? Like Sam said, it adds nothing. I think for the most part, people don’t use racial identifies because they are racist, they just don’t know better. They don’t REALIZE the underlying meaning of using a racial identifier. This class is really forcing me to look at myself, my actions, and the actions of others. I find myself constantly questioning people and initiating conversations. I am currently struggling with the fact that I am beginning to realize how little people actually know about other races and cultures and it drives me CRAZY. I wish I could force everyone I know to take this class! I actually forced my Dad to watch a lecture last time I was home, and made my friend watch it when she came to visit me! They were sucked into the lecture just like I was the first day. It’s too bad this is not a mandatory class for graduation. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:55:28 +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/#IDComment164426477 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/#IDComment164424989 Sam’s discussion about white “guilt” this lecture was very interesting to me. I experience white guilt on a daily basis. Every time I drive in my car and I see a person of a different skin color walking miles to the nearest bus stop, I feel white guilt. I ask myself, “How it fair? How is it fair that somehow I won the ‘luck of the birth lottery’ and ended up in a easier financial situation than others?” It’s not fair. And, it’s not fair that because I am white I have probably experienced a much easier life. I always get upset thinking about it and then begin to feel guilty and ashamed. At times, I wish I could trade my life with someone less fortunate, because it’s not fair. I know that at some point I will have to try and overcome my sense of guilt, but I don’t know when that will happen. I have a job and I am a hard worker, but I still know that my entire life has been EASY compared to most people. So, obviously when I saw the video about the Russian girls called “Prussian blue,” I became even angrier. Then, I just got mad at the parents because I realized those girls are two young to create those thoughts by themselves–they were taught to hate. Then I thought about the fact that their parents had to have been taught to hate by their parents and suddenly realized racism is a domino effect. The parents teach the children, the children grow up, have kids, and teach their kids and so on. People aren’t born thinking about race, so how is it that race has become such an issue? It’s become an issue because people are taught to think about race either by their family, friends, environment, or society. It’s scary to think that these girls could influence other people to become racist white supremacists. Although it is frustrating that someone could share those beliefs, the important fact is that I KNOW that they are wrong. So, now I need to make an effort to educate others. One of the ways that I am overcoming my guilt is by speaking with other people. I ask them what they think about a certain subject, and ironically, I can predict their responses before they finish. For instance, I was talking to a friend the other day and ask, “Why do you think people from the Middle East dislike America?” They said, “Because they hate our way of life, our freedom, our values.” I then proceeded to share the information I learned about that lecture and they were surprised. Most people don’t overtly hate others; they just don’t have the correct information. Their misperceptions shape their beliefs and influence their ideas about others. Ever since I started sharing information I’ve learned this class with others, I feel less guilt than before. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:48:57 +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/#IDComment164424989 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/#IDComment162683647 I also agree with both of you that as a society, we do not talk about what it means to be white. In fact, we barely acknowledge it. I have a difficult time trying to figure out what is actually means to be “white.” It is easy for me to distinguish between different groups of white people; but as a whole, I don’t have a definition for “whiteness.” Our society also discusses what it means to be “black,” or “Hispanic,” or other races. We discuss the issues that certain groups face, but we don’t acknowledge the issues pertaining to “whiteness,” or what it means to be white. This lecture was the first time that I really forced myself to sit and think about what it meant to be white. It evaluated all aspects of my life–my education, my family, my clothing, my style, my behaviors, my language, etc. I could not nail down any pattern that really made sense to me. I think the more that our society starts talking about what is means to be each race–including “white,” we will gain a better appreciation for different cultures. I also do not ignore what it means to be white. I think about it at least three times a day. When I interact with other people, notice other groups, or have discussions, I do think about it a lot. Often I ask myself, “How would my life be different if I was in another person’s shoes?” It forces me to examine individuals by thinking about the free will and determinism forces that have possibly shaped their life. Overall, I am really excited to learn more about “whiteness” and gain a better understanding of what it means to be white. Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:03:44 +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/#IDComment162683647 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/#IDComment162676411 I am a 23 year old white female. I never really thought about how my “whiteness” affected my outlook on myself or the way that others perceive me until about six years ago. I always knew that inequality and racial issues existed, but only thought about how those issues affected people other than myself. The majority of the kids in my middle school were white, which is why I probably never thought about what is meant to be white. All of that changed when I went to boarding school in Connecticut and left my town. My boarding school was extremely diverse. There were kids from almost every country in the world and all fifty states. At first, I was paranoid about taking about race or religion because I never wanted to offend anyone. I was always trying to be politically correct, but always wondering if you are actually being politically correct is exhausting. So, I didn’t feel comfortable engaging in discussion about race relations. However, I became friends with many of the kids at my school, many of which were from different races, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds. My friends knew that I did not have a racist bone in my body. They realized I was curious about their life experiences and view of the world, so we began having personal conversations. I shared stories about my life, my family, and my living situation at home. They shared their stories. I began to learn how different my life was from some of my friends. The conversations never got heated. It wasn’t about one person blaming the other; it was simply about exchanging our realities. Ever since graduating from boarding school, I have become even more defensive about race issues. Whenever I hear someone say an off-color comment, I take it personally. In my opinion when someone makes a racist comment, it offends be because that person is offending my friends. Ironically, I notice that people who make racist comments usually do not have any friends who are a different skin. I don’t know why I take it so personally, especially because I was not even engaging in conversations about race before sophomore year of high school. But, in my senior year of high school I took a class on South Africa’s new democracy. I decided to plan a school service trip with ten other classmates to visit the townships and help the people who live there. I will never forget riding in the car into the township; I was one of six white people in an entirely black community. That was the first time in my life that I realized what it felt like to be a minority. That is when I think I really shifted into the “awakening” stage.” I began to see that there is an “us” and “them.” I realized that my “whiteness” has affected my life and my reality of the world. It has shaped many aspects of my life. Instead of avoiding racial issues like I did in the past, or denying that inequality exists, I now try and seek a deeper understanding of race. Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:31:40 +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/#IDComment162676411 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160804469 The most shocking part of the lecture for me was the part about affirmative action for whites. I am white and I have never been against affirmative action, but I have heard other people claim that, “It’s not fair,” or “If you do it for one group, you need to do it for all groups.” But, there is a lot to say for the “luck of birth”–the idea that one’s circumstances are largely attributed to luck. If you are born into a wealthy family, you are born with an advantage. Similarly, if you are born into a poor family, you immediately enter the world at a disadvantage. I was aware of this. It’s a pretty simple concept. I just thought, “Well, rich kids must be really lucky. They have it pretty easy.” However, I never thought about the fact that kids who are born into a wealthy family are immediately given an advantage over others because they did not WORK for that money. Being given anything you did not WORK for is the same as giving someone an unfair advantage. So, how could you not create a program that would level the playing field and give those at a disadvantage an opportunity for advantage? After hearing about the GI low interest mortgage bill, I could not believe that loans were not distributed evenly between whites and blacks. Then you see the numbers. Only 100 of the 67,000 interest rates were given out to Vets of color. 100! Not 34,000, or 15,000…. 100. To think that American could be a completely different country today with a much larger middle class upsets me. Statistics like that really make me question everything our country stands for–freedom and equality. Another part of the lecture that really disgusted me was when Professor Richards discussed how African Americans are sent to prison at disproportionate rates. How, as Americans, can we allow this to happen? How has racism become so ingrained in some people’s minds that can base their decisions off of the color of someone’s skin? Overall, this lecture was a huge wake up call that when a certain group is “King of the Mountain,” they establish rules, practices, and ideologies to keep others from getting up. I am still in shock that the U.S. Government did not create and/or implement any policies to help provide more opportunities for African Americans. The government did nothing. I really enjoy watching all of these lectures because they force me to see our government and our country the way it REALLY is. It’s so easy to get swept up in patriotism that you stop analyzing and questioning our country’s decisions. Once you step back, question, and think about some of these decisions, you realize that our country has some major issues that need to be talked about. Thu, 9 Jun 2011 01:13:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160804469 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160800321 I couldn’t agree more. You make a great point that we all need to speak up and voice our concerns for society–every discussion makes a difference. After every lecture, I make it a point to share some of the stories with as many people as I possibly can. For instance, yesterday I told my sister over the phone about that fact that African Americans are disproportionately sent to jail based off of the percentage that are actually committing crimes and that no one is talking about it. I shared the same information with a woman that I work with and she already knew it. In fact, she continued to teach me even more about the fact that prisons are doing a horrible job implementing re-socialization and/or job training programs that NEED to be occurring in prisons. I had a discussion with my father regarding the lecture on determinism vs. free will. He mentioned that it’s all about the “luck of birth”, which ironically, Professor Richards discussed in his next lecture! Many people ARE aware of social inequalities, but we need to TALK about it. If people already know the information you share with them, expand the conversation and learn something new. If the person is unaware of the information you are sharing, EDUCATE them and ENCOURAGE them to keep the conversation going. Thu, 9 Jun 2011 00:51:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160800321 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment159831232 I agree with you too! This lecture made me realize how important it is to try and UNDERSTAND where someone is coming from. I know that I don’t have to agree or support another person’s beliefs or actions, but I do need to try and understand why or how they may think that way. I loved how Professor Richards forced us to pretend that we were Arab/Muslim and spoke to us as we lived in the Middle East. Now, I completely understand why Arabs/Muslims would be upset at the United States, whereas before, I thought they “hated” us because we were Americans. I am also frustrated with how the media portrays the news. It so twisted and targeted at Americans that it’s impossible to know what is really going on. Instead of watching the U.S. news channels I watch BBC news because I feel that they give a more balanced perspective of world issues that has not been filtered through the lenses of the American perspective. Mon, 6 Jun 2011 04:05:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment159831232 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment159829682 Watching the video on ethnocentrism just made me realize how destructive stereotypes are. So many people make hurtful comments in the form of a joke and think it’s funny, but it’s actually ignorant. I think it is sad that people create their own assumptions about other cultures, races, and peoples without knowing anything about them. It takes five minutes to read something and learn about another culture. If everyone took the time to educate themselves, I feel like so many conflicts could be resolved. The lecture made me realize that you don’t have to agree or support another culture or their practices, but it is your responsibility as a human being to understand why or how someone may have different practices or beliefs than you. I used to have so much frustration towards the Middle East. I couldn’t understand why so many people hated the United States. However, after watching Christian Invaders, I learned that many people do not hate the United States. In fact, many Arabs and/or Muslims do not think of us as simply Americans, they think of us as Christians. This completely changed my perspective. If I were an Arab or Muslim from the Middle East I would dislike America. I would be mad that they came into my country and took our natural resources, that they stationed troops on OUR land, that my friends and family might be killed as a civilian causality…I would be so angry. If only people could put themselves in the other person’s shoes, they might just understand how others might feel. Mon, 6 Jun 2011 04:00:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment159829682 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment159829417 When I think of the world today, it honestly just makes me sad. There is so much violence, killing, and hatred. At the end of the day, we are all so similar–we care about the same things (family & friends), yet we can’t stop finding things to fight about. It is hard to visualize what so many other countries think about the United States. We try to impose our beliefs on so many different countries and act as puppeteer–manipulating countries that have things that we want: oil, democracy, allies…but people don’t talk about it. Instead, we should try and understand different cultures and realize that maybe it’s not out job to try and mold every country to be like us. Yes, I think that being a superpower means you need to help other countries during times of crisis in terms of providing aid, but it doesn’t mean you have the right to go into other countries and try and control them, their government, and their people. Overall, this lesson was a great wake up call for me. I rarely challenge or stop and think about my daily activities. When I think about buying factory farmed dead meat in a grocery store, I realize it’s disgusting. But, that’s because I never stopped to think about it before. I also used to think hunting was pretty barbaric–I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to kill an innocent animal. Now, I have so much respect for hunters and I appreciate the fact that respect animals more than I do because they kill it themselves instead of walking into a grocery store and picking it off the shelf. Mon, 6 Jun 2011 03:59:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment159829417 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158404662 I agree with your assertion that our beliefs are shaped by the media. The media portrays the Iraqi people as aggressive and violent–carrying guns and killing soldiers. They also portray Iraq as such a foreign and un-relatable place. Every picture I see is of a war-torn country, with poverty, destruction, and violence. It almost makes it easier to detach myself from the situation because it is so difficult to relate the to the Iraqi way of the life that the media portrays. Now, I feel like I have a much better understanding of how skewed the media really is. Thu, 2 Jun 2011 03:35:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158404662 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158401380 I really enjoyed the lesson this week. It forced me to re-examine my own thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions regarding the war in Iraq and what is “acceptable” behavior. After Professor Richards began to put things in perspective, I realized how narrow-minded Americans tend to be. For instance, in some cultures, when a person commits an “unforgivable crime,” we inject them with poison or electrocute them to death. And, most American’s don’t think twice about this behavior. However, in another culture, people believe that those who commit horrendous crimes should be stoned to death and we claim it’s barbaric. Personally, killing anyone should be frowned upon, but we only think twice about behaviors that are culturally different from our own. People are so quick to judge, they do not stop, think, and attempt to UNDERSTAND behaviors different from their own. Another aspect of the lecture that opened my eyes was the part that discussed how it would feel to be an Iraqi. If I was an Iraqi and the Americans invaded my country, had been taking my country’s oil, and killing my friends and family (on accident), I would be mad. I would be scared, upset, and fearful. I would probably try and find a weapon to protect myself and join my friends. Why are we so quick to judge? Thu, 2 Jun 2011 03:20:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158401380 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156426008 I also found the section of the lecture based on skin whitening cream ironic. I agree with your point that, “obviously (or maybe not), beauty is relative (or, shall we say "in the eye of the beholder"). What one person sees as beautiful, or perhaps a whole culture may see as beautiful, may be the opposite to others.” While some women think “pure white” skin is beautiful and buy creams to lighten their skin, others are buy tanning creams filled with chemicals to make their skin darker. My friend used to go to a tanning salon 1-3 times a week in order to maintain her “tan,” even though she is aware that tanning causes skin cancer. Why are people willing to jeopardize their health for beauty? Especially when beauty is all relative! I still cannot get over the fact that some people get plastic surgery (nose jobs, breast implants, etc.) and actually risk their life for beauty. I know it’s extreme, but every surgery has its risks. My mother’s friend worked on the television show “Extreme Makeover,” where they completely alter people to look more “beautiful.” However, the women told my mother, “You don’t see every person who actually goes through the process–some people cannot be show on air because they had complications with their plastic surgery procedures.” It’s scary, but people never hear about the surgeries that have gone wrong! Thu, 26 May 2011 17:48:58 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156426008 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156423741 I really enjoyed the lectures on race this week. I have a whole new appreciation for the topic of race. Before the lecture, I never thought about the concept of race–I viewed race as the psychical and social characteristics of different people and/or groups. According to our lecture, “race” is the physical or biological characteristics of a person or group. In other words, “race” is the features people are born with, which forced me to think about how our society tries to determine what is “beautiful.” Every day people are trying to change their natural/genetic features to look like someone else–someone younger, someone thinner, and even someone completely different (i.e. plastic surgery). It makes no sense! Why? Because magazines decide to choose models they think represent beauty? I loved how the article we read this week pointed out the fact that “models” would not survive had they been our ancestors. Another aspect of the lecture that really upset me was the section on the skin lightening cream. I could not believe that companies I buy makeup from such as L’Oreal make these cosmetic creams called “white perfection.” I actually found it funny and ironic that while some people are trying to lighten their skin, others, like my friends, use sunless tanner to make their skin look darker! I couldn’t believe the irony. Then, it forced me to look at myself and I stopped laughing. I have medium-brown hair naturally. However, I don’t love my natural hair color so I get blonde highlights. Why do I spend $150 every few months to change my natural hair color? Genetically speaking, there had to be some reason why my ancestors passed down my hair color. Do I highlight my hair because I think it makes me look more beautiful? What is beauty? The entire lecture really opened my eyes to how much I allow society to shape my life and my beliefs about myself. I still cannot believe that genetically we are all 99.9% the same–so why do you try to hard to find differences or be different that who we naturally are? Thu, 26 May 2011 17:40:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156423741 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/14/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know/#IDComment154938422 I also enjoyed the video lecture! It was really helpful to watch the lecture and then learn about the correct answers since I received a 21%­, which is very embarrassing. I too was surprised to by all of the information about Native Americans. I did not know that Native Americans are more likely to succeed in completing suicide than any other group. I also never thought about the concept of ‘red land.’ Although I knew that Native Americans occupied America first. I still have the idea of American being some empty land. I never stopped to really think about the people who were here first–the Native Americans. It is awful to think of many were brutally killed, forced off their land, and left to live in the poorest conditions. The worst part is how few tribes survived. The precious cultures that were destroyed upset me the most. And, the fact that I cannot name more than five tribes is embarrassing and humiliating. Overall, the lecture and quiz was a great eye-opener and I cannot wait to learn more this semester! Sun, 22 May 2011 15:27:40 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/14/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know/#IDComment154938422