en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2444161 Comments by katehump http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-do-you-think-about-the-telephone-game-and-why-does-information-travel-that-way-119-blog/#IDComment143703188 In today’s class, we played the telephone game. When I first saw the story on the projector, I was like wow I would never be able to remember all of that and repeat it to the next student correctly. The telephone game was with six fellow class students who separately repeated to the story to the next person who repeated it to the next, so on and so forth. The first girl did a really good job remembering the story but as the kids went and repeated it to the next student, I slowly noticed the story losing it’s correct story line and the facts getting mixed up. However, there were three main things that remained true throughout the game. The three things were: that the kid went to a large university, that the university did not have a minority class to offer, and that the kid asked the dean to get it approved. The story got changed drastically from person to person through telephone. In general, the game was a lot of fun to watch because it was funny to see how some of the participants really struggled to remember what they just listened too thirty seconds ago. The best was how the end of the story was all about how when the kid finally got the class approved, every time the class was schedule to happen, they always ran into trouble with white kids being in the classroom. This was the funny part about the game. As each person told the story, this part got changed and just turned to the white girl throwing a book through the T.V, when the real story has so much more detail for why she did what she did. I think the main idea of the story was to observe how minorities did in this game. I did not notice any difference in the white participants from the black or Asian participants. I do not think the black student did a better job remembering the story because the story was about a black kid trying to get a class about minority passed. The game was really interesting but I do not think it was as effective as the guest speaker wanted it to. The game was definitely effective in displaying how the story would easily get changed person to person through telephone. However, did I notice a difference between the stories being told by a black person over a white person? I think every person in this game did a fair share of changing the story because they couldn’t remember it as much as the person before them. In conclusion, I enjoyed the game and thought it was more funny and entertaining rather then it being a more educational experience trying to teach something about diversity. Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:02:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/14/what-do-you-think-about-the-telephone-game-and-why-does-information-travel-that-way-119-blog/#IDComment143703188 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment141973035 In response to the video asking what my feelings are about terrorism after class is simply fear. I think terrorism is really scary because it can happen at any second of any day. I think the attack of 9/11 was terrifying and makes me realize they really have no shame in killing as many Americans as possible. The attacks of 9/11 had a different effect on everyone. I think for those people who live close to New York City, like myself, and had family or friends directly affected by the attack look at it from a different standpoint. In my situation, I did not see my father for three days straight. My aunt was in the building and my uncle worked in the building directed like adjacent to tower number two. I can remember that day vividly, I was in fourth grade and in the morning my principal came into my class and asked if anyone had family members who worked in New York City. I raised my hand and was set home, completely confused and actually excited to have a half-day. Once I got home, I was no longer in a good mood, when I found my mother crying on the couch glued to the television showing the two towers up in flames. She was holding the phone constantly talking to all family members in owe over the situation. My dad was fine and actually was not in the city at the time of event but was driven in a few hours after since he works for a construction rental equipment company. For three days straight he had as much equipment necessary delivered to ground zero I the helps of finding bodies and cleaning up. Since I was so young, I did not really understand the situation until my mom said that mean people drove the plans into the buildings on purpose. What scared me the most was when I saw people jumping from the buildings and bloody people aimlessly running the streets of the city searching for safety. Terrorism is scary, my brother and sister both live in major cities and at any time they could be facing a similar situation. Sam taught me today that are people all around the world that will die in sake for their beliefs. This scared because there is so many people in the world that hate America and would do anything they can do kill as many of us as possible. Class taught me that 9/11 can easily happen again or something even worse. Terrorism is very real and very scary. Sam made me more aware that there are people in this world that do want America to be attacked and there are people in the world probably planning a way to do it. I do not want to live my life in fear, but terrorism is a big deal and really scary and in today’s class made me realize that even more. Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:48:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/after-this-class-do-you-still-blame-terrorism-119-blog/#IDComment141973035 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140551596 In class today, I think the movie about the Jihad had the most impact on me. I will admit, while watching that movie, I definitely was frightened. The fact that these people hate America and are planning ways to destroy is a scary thing. 9/11 was a terrible thing and it scares me to think that someone in the world deliberately planned those attacks with intentions of hurting as many American people as possible for the stupidest reasons. I think it is funny that these people think this way when American and all its resources can cause so much more damage to them and their families then they can to us makes this whole controversy so stupid to me. I do not understand why we cannot just live in peace and fight about things that are important other then religion. The movie was very meaning for to me because it really opened my eyes to how serious these things are. 9/11 shows that they are not scared and they will follow through and kill American people simply because they want too because they think that our ideals in life are stupid. I know that they will attack us again because they have done it several times and what will stop them this time? The answer is nothing. People think because we are over there at war that we do not need to worry about being attach again, but that is simply stupid to think that way. There are members of Alcida in America! This is extremely frightening to me! The movie in class definitely reminded me of this fact and made me realize there is so much evil in this world. My mother always says “There is a lot of good in this world and a lot of bad, you can’t live your life in fear” I truly believe in this statement but the Jihad movie made me feel like everyone is trying to just kill every American! The movie also made me appreciate that I did not lose any one close to me from the 9/11 attacks! I was also shocked to see how many other attacks have been made on American Embassy’s in other countries! I was shocked to see how long this ongoing hatred has been around. I think something more then war needs to be done to solve this problem. I also think that searching for Osama Bin Laden thinking that if we find him and execute him that this will all be over. That is not true has a group of followers with the same belief system that will take over and continue planning ways to destroy the lives of American families. Jihad definitely had the biggest impact on me throughout the movies we have watched in class. Wed, 6 Apr 2011 19:50:34 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/05/which-video-in-class-today-had-the-biggest-impact-on-you-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment140551596 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment138709312 I have never once felt uncomfortable around two or more people speaking another language. My answer could be no because I have been in many these situations before from my job, traveling, and attending Penn State. At home, I work in a restaurant where half of the staff is either Italian or Mexican. There has been a countless time where I was around my fellow co-workers and they were rambling on in Italian or Spanish, but not once has it made me uncomfortable. I actually think Italian is really unattractive language. As for Spanish, I enjoyed listening in because I know some Spanish. It was fun and educational trying to figure out what they were saying. I always ask them to speak to me in Spanish so that I can improve my conversational skills. Two years ago, I also went overseas to London, Paris, and Barcelona. Three different countries with three different languages. London was cool because they speak English, but they have a different slang then American English. It was interesting to listen to their accent and how they use different phrases and different words for different meanings. In Paris, it was cool to hear French all the time. I actually have French speaking Canadian cousins who also speak English fluently as well, so Paris was not the first time I have been exposed to French. Although the people of France are not too fond on Americans, I noticed how beautiful the French language is. Again, not once did I ever get uncomfortable because now a days many people are bilingual or can speak a little bit of another language to get by. In Barcelona, it was very surprising how different the Spanish is in each region. A person who speaks Spanish in the north of Spain will not understand a person speaking from the South. This was cool because in American, English is the same everywhere besides for some accents, but I can still understand every American I meet. I also have encountered situations at Penn State where I will be around people who are all speaking another language and once again it does not make me uncomfortable because I know that if I ever need to speak to them, they would be able to comprehend most of what I am saying because they are surrounded by English speaking people. All there classes are taught in English, all the signs are in English, and most people they do converse with everyday are English speaking. However, I am sure that it would be uncomfortable if I were in an emergency in another country alone, and I needed to speak to ask for help and everyone I asked could not understand me, it would frustrating. I would not use the world uncomfortable. Wed, 30 Mar 2011 22:44:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment138709312 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment136570813 I come from a small town in New Jersey and attended a high school that was predominantly white. People from my town always used the expression, “we live in a bubble,” because we never had the opportunity to be exposed to people of all races. When I first came to Penn State University in Fall 2010, I was very excited to be apart of such a diverse college community. I came to Penn State thinking that it was going to be diverse and I would have the opportunity to meet so many people of different backgrounds. This was exciting to me! However, to my surprise, my first week of classes, I would look around and I noticed that all my classes were predominantly white. This was disappointing to me. I wanted to be in a class where every one was not just like me. I wanted to become more culturally diverse by meeting people and being the inquisitive person I am and learn about other peoples lives. Although my classes were dominantly white, whenever I walk around campus, I would see so many people of a different race. This was so odd to me. I figured this is just how my classes turned out. But as I walk around campus, I do think that we are a diverse college. However, after being in Sociology 119, I learned that Penn State is actually not as diverse as I thought it was. Sam put the statistics up and to my surprise the student body is predominantly white. More than half of Penn State students are white. Maybe I thought that we were diverse after walking to and from classes because I am just use to not seeing people of different races because of my hometown. Another reason I thought that we were diverse was because we have a lot of foreign exchange students. Two of my close friends from home have foreign exchange roommates from India and China. My first floor meeting informed me that three of the girls on my hall were from a different country. After all of these thoughts, what do I think of Penn State’s diversity? I think the diversity at Penn State is not a good as it could be. I think admissions should make a serious effort in admitting students from all different races making our campus more diverse. It is good for us students to be apart of a culturally diverse community because you learn a lot about different cultures and ethnicities. It is very interesting to learn the different lifestyles of people from different countries. In conclusion, I think Penn State is not as diverse as the college plays it up to be. In my opinion, it is simple to solve this issue, admissions needs to pay more attention to the applications of those of a different race than white. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 20:55:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment136570813 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135196859 In my lifetime, I have never once felt guilty for my race. I also think that no one should feel guilty for their race because they had no control over it. I have never once said to my self, “I feel bad that I am a white person,” and no one of any other race should ever think this. In today’s lecture, Sam proposed this question, and to my surprise a few people admitted to feeling guilty for their race. I do not understand their reasoning because they had no opportunity to choose which race they would have been. Of course, racism is still a very big part of today’s society, but racism should not lead people to feel guilty for what skin color they are. For an example, those black individuals who did not get the job over the white people should not feel remorse for having black skin. Racism and guilt because of one’s race are two completely different things. Yes, I will admit that white people have advantages over people of another race in certain situations, but that is due to our society’s inability to look past race and view everyone has equal. I think this question is very simple to answer, and I do not think only people of white race would answer with never feeling guilty for being white. I think people of other races are proud of their ethnicity and heritage although some races were treated differently over time. Many people think white people think they are more privileged and should be treated with more respect than those of another race, which is completely false. Of course there are people in the world who still believe in race and segregation, but in my opinion, most white people do not think this at all and take offense to this stereotype. In conclusion, I have never once felt guilty for being a white female and I do not think any person of any race should feel guilty for what their race is. I believe every one can prosper in the world if they work hard and do the right thing. I do not think that white people are the only one’s in today’s society that can prosper, like many other races think. I am not saying that white people have it as tough as other races because I would lying if I said that, but I have worked for everything I have and I do not think the color of my skin has helped me do the things I have in my life. White people are not privilege and should not receive any more respect because of the color of our skin and vice versa. I have and will never feel guilty for being white, I had no other choice. Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:54:44 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/have-you-ever-felt-guilt-from-being-of-a-certain-race-119-blog/#IDComment135196859 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/22/do-you-think-in-today%e2%80%99s-society-people-are-more-racist-toward-muslims-or-blacks-119-blog/#IDComment132158496 I think that in today’s society, racism is still very much apart of our lives. America likes to portray the image that we are not racist and that we have evolved from that terrible time when realistically racism still affects millions of American citizens. In my opinion, blacks and Muslims definitely still endure the consequences of racism and what things come along with it. I do not want to admit this, but I think many can agree with me that when your on an airplane and a Muslim looking individual comes aboard, you think of things related to 9/11. I do not say “oh they are going to do it again” but there image just reminds of you that horrible day. I am definitely not a racist person, I truly believe that, but I do think we all unconsciously think of things that have to do with race. There have been experiments done that prove that racism and segregation are still major factors for blacks, Muslims, Hispanics, Latinos, etc. For an example, as discussed in lecture, the experiment done to determine if there is racism in the work world exemplifies the struggles people of a different race go through to earn a living. The study’s results displayed that a white male with a criminal record has a higher probability of being called back for an interview then a black male with no criminal record. There is even discrimination against the names that are known to be culturally related to another race. This was proven when a study was done where they presented resumes of people with white sounding names and resumes of people with black sounding names. When the results showed that white people got the job over black people just because of their name is another perfect example of how blacks still face racism today, when this society portrays a lifestyle of equality. I do not necessarily think that people are more racist to blacks and Muslims. My examples above show that they still deal with it, but I think there is racism towards every race. I think there is racism to white people too. Black’s make jokes about a white man all the time, but for some reason it is not looked downed upon as much as if a white man made a black joke. However, I do think that people are more racist to Muslims today then in the past because of the terrible attacks on 9/11. If we did that to their country and people, I think the tables would be turned just as much as they did in America. It is natural for people to feel this way if they lost a loved one. To get past this, people who are racist toward other races, need to realize that they are just like us, they are not different because of their skin color. Just like in class, when Muslim people had the opportunity to tell us how they feel. They said that because people of their culture did that, does not mean that ever Muslims in the world is an extremist. They want the same in life just like us. Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:33:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/22/do-you-think-in-today%e2%80%99s-society-people-are-more-racist-toward-muslims-or-blacks-119-blog/#IDComment132158496 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130169751 ; it is about their lifestyles. People from other countries live different lifestyles, which is what makes the world so unique and diverse. People living in India who come to live in America are definitely going to need to adapt to the different customs and cultures of the American people. This goes for any situation. All countries have different foods, clothes, religion, and ways of life. So I think that people from other countries are different in that aspect. I do not think they are weird because they have a different culture. I think this question is referring to physical appearances. Obviously if I look at a Muslim, it is normal for me to notice physical differences but does this make me not like that person? Of course not. When I went over seas, I got the opportunity to spend time in Paris, France, London, England, and Barcelona Spain. I was culture shocked to see how different people live from Americans! I thought it was amazing. I did not think the people from each country were weird, but I did think their lifestyle was so weird because it was something so different from America. For an example, I think it is really weird that in Barcelona, the city completely shut down for “fiesta.” The entire city went home to sleep and spend time with their families. In conclusion, I think people from other countries are so different from us because they just live different lifestyles, and have different likes and dislikes. Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:06:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130169751 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130169593 Why do we think people from other countries are so different from us? I believe we think this because most of us are simply uneducated on the topic of race and ethnicity. People think they know so much when they are actually just fooling themselves. There have been so many times in lecture, that Sam has told me something and I was shocked to see how wrong I have been for most of my life. When people see someone of a different color or race, we are prone to think they are from a different country and because of that, they are completely different from us. This is just not true, and to stop thinking this way, we need to become more educated on this topic. Of course I hate to admit to this, but it is true. I was dumbfounded when Sam did the exercise when we had to group classmates with other classmates who we thought were of the same race. While I was sitting in my sit trying to figure this out, I was so surprised to see how wrong my answers were. It is just being uneducated about this whole topic that leads to stereotypes and prejudice statements. Another reason I think people from other countries are so different from us is not just their different physical features Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:05:41 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130169593 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/#IDComment128841219 Everyone has there own definition of success. My definition of success is simply being happy with my occupation, my family, and myself. Do I think that success is a result of hard work? Absolutely, I believe that those who work hard for what they want in life will have a better chance of actually obtaining it. However, things happen in life and people are faced with the challenges of everyday life that can damper their pathway to success. I believe that people who go to college, work hard, and get good grades are those that are driven in life and get the so called “successful jobs,” because they are the ones that are more qualified and educated. There are also people in life that school is just not for them, but they don’t sit around and just wait for success to be handed to them. They work just as hard as one who is going to a great university, but their pathway to success is just different. Their tasks are different. Are there exceptions to my idea of success? Of course, people getting lucky everyday. For an example the individual that wins the lottery and starts living a world filled with nice luxurious things. I think this example explains the person that is successful because they are happy since they don’t have to worry about their economically status and can just enjoy life. I don’t think success should be defined as how much a person is worth economically, but everyone knows that money makes life a lot easier. For those that complain that they never had the special privileges of going to a good high school or going to a good university, but in my opinion those reasons are just excuses of being lazy. Not everyone has the same drive as others and that is why there are socioeconomic classes in today’s society. People are where they are today because of what they had to do to get their. My dad didn’t get his job from doing nothing. He went to college, got good grades, and worked really hard to find a good suitable job. He continued to work hard the rest of his life, putting in eighty hours a week, and that is why he is happy because he knows he did what he had to do. Like I said previously, not everyone is as fortunate and things happen; family members get sick, a loved one dies, or simply a person loses a job, these are all horrible things; that should not make someone just give up on finding their definition of success. Some people are happy living the simple life others aren’t. But in today’s society, you need to work hard to define what you think success is. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:28:19 +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/#IDComment128841219 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127155774 There are many factors in my life that have got me to where I am today. Through out my life, my parents always pushed me to my full potential. They were always very strict about grades and my educational experience. My parents are both hard working adults, who both know that if you want to do well in life and be successful, that you need to work hard to get it. That attitude is what they taught me through out my entire life. I grew up always knowing that if I wanted something in life I needed to work for it. Nothing would ever be easily handed to me. As a young child, I grew up in an affluent area and was close with a group of girls who all wanted good things such as: an acceptance to their first choice university, a successful and happy work life, and a family. Being surrounded by people, who also came from strict parents, pushed me to work even harder on my academics. Today, getting accepted to college is not an easy task. There are so many things that need to be accomplished in high school prior to applying to college. Everyone is preached that colleges wanted to see a “well-rounded individual,” meaning a person who is serious about academics, participates in the community, and of course has good SAT scores. Every student in high school is told this a million times, but it’s the students that actually do it that get what they want. I think that I got into Penn State because of all the things I did in my high school years. In high school, I was enrolled in honor classes and advanced placement class, a member of the National Honor Society, and a varsity athlete for three years of my high school career. I definitely worked hard and I think that is the reason I got accepted into Penn State. Along with being an active participant in school, I also did community service outside of school, since colleges looked for the “well-rounded individual.” On top of everything else, I also worked a part time job at a local Italian restaurant, which I enjoyed very much. All these things that I did in high school, made my college application look good. I think that if an individual works hard and participants in things that are important, they will have happiness and success. People always say, “ well most people aren’t as privileged as other,” but that is not true. There are people from all types of socioeconomic statuses that are happy in life because they worked hard in life. Of course, this is not always true, but I truly believe that I got into Penn State because of my academic success, extra-curricular activities, community involvement, and simply but drive to work hard, not because of money or luck. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:48:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/how-have-the-choices-youve-made-and-determinism-affected-your-life-119-blog/#IDComment127155774 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment125738758 I believe that comedians joke about race because they know it is a topic everyone is aware of and for the most part jokes about race are usually comical. However, what are the boundaries of a comedian when cracking jokes about another race? When is it ok to make a joke about a black person, oriental person, or white person? In today’s society, racism is still a major aspect of people’s everyday lives. Why is it that when a black comedian makes jokes about a white person, referring to them as “crackers,” is justifiable, but when a white comedian makes jokes about a black person or the black community, the room suddenly fills with tension and awkwardness? In my opinion, the answer to this question is that black people are more offended by racism because of their history of slavery and their struggle to be independent people. I agree that slavery was completely unjust and wrong, but white people had to work for their fortune and lifestyle as well. For a black or oriental comedian to be allowed to make jokes about white people, they white people should be allowed to do the same. We supposedly live in an “everyone is equal” society, but this topic clearly puts that idea to shame. Everyone wants for racism to be apart of the past, and everyone wants to live in a society where there are no stereotypes or negativity towards another race, but these are the things that need to be fixed. This topic clearly displays that racism is still very much apart of today’s society, but people still always say, “ I am not racist.” I will admit, that if I was at a comedian show, and a white person was making jokes about the black community and I thought it was funny, I would laugh. I classify myself as a person who is not racist, and in this situation I don’t feel guilty because I know that if the tables were turned, a black girl would laugh at the black comedian making jokes about the white community. But when will this ever come to an end? How will we eliminate that tension and awkwardness in a room when a white person is making jokes about the stereotypes of another race? Simply when racism is over and there are no stereotypes or negativity about another race. This will end when all Americans truly believe there are equal with one another and treat each other with the up most respect, just like they would treat an individual of their own race with. To solve this issue, we need to stop thinking about different groups, and start thinking about our society and a whole and one. Thu, 3 Feb 2011 18:59:19 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment125738758 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124411682 First off, what is political correctness? What are the boundaries of being politically correct or incorrect? As much as everyone wants to deny it, racism is still very alive in today’s society, and being political correct is defined differently by everyone of every race. I think that political correctness is giving your own opinion but not offending anyone of another race at the same time. But then is it really your honest opinion? As Americans, we are granted freedom of speech, but then how does political correctness support this law? If every time we speak of the important issues regarding race we have to make sure we don’t offend anyone or make an inappropriate remark, then our freedom of speech is taken away from us. Stereotypes clearly go over the boundaries of being politically correct especially when regarding name-calling. When a white man calls a black individual a “nigger,” that is defined as being politically incorrect, but when a black man calls a white man a “cracker” it is okay? Who chooses what is politically correct or incorrect? No one should have to hold back their opinions or alter them in order to make another individual satisfied. In today’s society, we need to pay more attention on treating every race as a whole, and not pay so much attention to each individual race and what we like and dislike about them. Racism is always going to be apart of life, but there are ways we can improve it, and defining the rules of political correctness is not going to work. Everyone just needs to stop paying so much attention to what other people are saying about you because you are doing the same thing about them and everyone knows it. Everyone has opinions and everyone is going to stand by them. Political correctness should not be a factor when discussing important issues. If you firmly believe that the President of the United States of America should not be president because of the color of his skin, you should be allowed to say that whether or not your surroundings agree or disagree with your opinion. Political correctness is always going to be altered. In another words, everyone has a different idea of what it actually is, so why is there even a rule saying that the right thing to do is be politically correct? People have different opinions on each and every race in the world and that is never going to change. We need to accept the fact that there are different people in this world, and the color of one’s skin should not matter. We are who we are. Political correctness should not be a factor in the way we operate in today’s society. How are we going to move forward in the world if we still alter our opinions because of racism? Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:15:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124411682 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/why-do-we-still-have-stereotypes-blog-1/#IDComment122899583 I believe that there are still stereotypes in today’s society because of past generations. Our entire lives we were raised by our parents who grew up in a racist generation where stereotypes became the cool thing. In my case, I grew up in a predominantly white affluent town where there was slim to no black people. I grew up in a bubble nicknamed “white wall.” I am going to be honest; my parents are racist, not because they dislike people of other races, but because of how they were raised. My parents grew up in a household where black people were called niggers and always associated with bad things and violence. Before coming to Penn State, I went to school with five black people, which I thought was normal. I knew nothing else, that was my environment growing up. When I first came to Penn State, I was shocked to see how diverse the student population was, and I loved it. I always learned in high school that college was a time to experience so many new things, and diversity was always one of them I looked forward too! I wanted to be exposed to the real world, and experience different cultures and lifestyles. I think that there are still stereotypes simply because people do not know anything different. If you are raised in a household where your parents taught you how they were taught, they clearly being reluctant to meeting people of different races is going to be completely common. I am going to be honest, if I brought home a black man as my significant other, my parents and family relatives would be very surprised at first. Once they got to know him and realized that he would be a nice man, they would learn to appreciate my happiness. In conclusion, I truly believe that we have still have stereotypes because of how this generation was raised by a racist generation. Sat, 22 Jan 2011 02:19:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/why-do-we-still-have-stereotypes-blog-1/#IDComment122899583 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9ch%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122411405 Soc 119 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:28:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9ch%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122411405