gdp's Comments

World In Conversation : What are your thoughts on everything we saw and heard in lecture about Native Americans?- 119 Blog

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:56:17 +0000

I had the great privilege of taking a racial marketing class with professor Renea Nichols last semester. In the class, she tried to expose us to as many races as possible, bringing in speakers who represented the different races. Along with this, each of us were assigned a specific race or minority group and I just so happened to have the privilege of being assigned American Indians. In my research, I found the same jaw dropping statistics pertaining to high school dropout rates, alcoholism, domestic abuse and poverty. I found that of all the other races that were presented, American Indians seemed to have the short end of the stick in every imaginable category. Something else I found interesting was the differences in the information provided about American Indians. For example, each website I went to had a different number for tribes found in the United States. These people inhabited this land and respected it for hundreds of years before European white men just took it right out of their hands, and we can’t even have basic information about them? The history of American Indians and the constant struggles they have been put through by our government make me sick. I do not think that the United State government will ever be able to make right what they have done to the people of American Indian tribes. Something else I struggle with is the fact that there are no days out of the year set aside to remember what the American Indian people went through or, even more basic, the American Indian people as a whole. We have Columbus Day to remember a man who killed many in his quests of the West Indies. But there is no day to remember American Indian tribes and pay homage to the fact that their land was taken from them? That needs to change immediately. The American population can no longer be ignorant of the people who had this land first. In the lecture, Sam said that its absurd that the people who first had control of this land called the United States and its resources are now a people who are in the lowest depths of poverty. I never thought about it, but its so true. In the video, the houses and basic utensils in the homes of the American Indians were unfit to put it basically. How is this okay? Programs and associations need to be put in place to educate and help the American Indian tribes climb out of the desperate poverty they are in. Going back to my racial marketing class, we were able to hear from an actual American Indian who teaches at Penn State. His name is John Sanchez and he is a member of the Apache tribe. When he talked to our class, the thing that struck me most was when he said, “We don’t hate this country. We love it. We just wish it was still ours.”

World In Conversation : Has the class on the "needy" penis made you uncomfortable and why?- 119 Blog

Sat, 2 Apr 2011 00:29:24 +0000

Did the lecture make me feel uncomfortable? Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, no. I thought the lecture was great. It will probably be one of the few lectures that I will actually remember after I leave this school and go out in the real world and live my life. That is how comfortable I was with the lecture. Granted there were times when I was chuckling a bit and I blushed (Sam’s personal stories), but the message behind all the stories and all the “taboo” subjects is too profound and important to be uncomfortable with it. My family is not very open about these subjects, meaning I have never really had the chance to discuss these issues or really even think about them. What are the differences between men and women? How are these differences ever present in everyday life? How can I, as a woman, prepare myself for these “boys” that want what they want right now? All of these questions need to be answered or just merely thought about in order for me to go on in life as a wise person. If anyone was uncomfortable with the issues brought about in the lecture, they should become comfortable with them real quick because these issues will follow everyone, unless you’re a nun, for the rest of their lives. Its just a part of life that needs to be understood for the good of everyone. So men and women can get along. So men can understand that it is a male centered world and they nee to realize its not all about them. I would hope that everyone who attended the class really took the messages that were thrown out seriously and really think about it. For one of the issues, sexual assault, the numbers are too large and too scary to not be taken seriously. I had never really thought about it before but I know a lot of girls and friends of girls who have had some sort of encounter with sexual assault. And I don’t put the blame wholly on men. This is what our society and culture has taught us through the years and it has only gotten worse. That women are inferior to men and they should be treated as such. Look in any men’s magazine and you’ll find women being ideally portrayed to men, teaching men that this is how real life is. And women’s magazines don’t help matters either with articles catering to what women should give to men to please them and their desires. All of these issues need to be talked about in open forums like they were discussed in class. I think more lectures or seminars like “The Needy Penis” would help relationships and create understanding for both men and women.

World In Conversation : What do you think about interracial relationships?- 119 Blog

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:54:41 +0000

Interracial relationships, no matter what two races are paired together, are beautiful to me. For me it is special symbol of the times that are changing. Two people who can love each other, not based on looks. Not caring about was is sociably “acceptable.” Only loving each based on who they are as a human being, is something spectacular. I think those involved in interracial relationships are courageous. In today’s society, there are still those people who look down at interracial relationships. It is seen as taboo. I have seen the reaction interracial couples get; the looks, the snide remarks, the long judging stares. I am sure some areas are better to be in an interracial relationship than others. Major urban areas like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and San Francisco are cities I feel would not have this judgment of interracial couples. The Centre County region and the area I live in, southwestern Pennsylvania, are places where interracial relationships are not part of the norm. My good friend started dating a Black boy from her college. When the news got back home relating to who she was dating, there were a lot of comments and looks. It was definitely “hot” gossip. I admire my friend for dating who she wants to date and not letting prejudices and what is socially “correct” affect that. I find her to be brave and so is anyone who is apart of an interracial relationship. Couples who are the same race have their issues and their fights. It is even harder for an interracial couple when you factor in the extra stress added by people outside of the relationship. I remember first realizing about interracial relationships and the consequences that come with it from the movie “Save the Last Dance.” In the movie, a White girl and a Black boy fall in love with each other and have to deal with the people around them enforcing their opinions on them. The judgements come from both side of the racial line. I remember seeing it when I was about ten and wondering why there was such judgement. As I grew up, I started to realize how people felt about interracial relationships but to this day, I do not understand why people have an issue with it. No one should be judged based on the person they love. When it comes to any kind of judgement, its not smart to point the finger because there are three pointing right back at you (a little saying my Dad always says to me). I do see the acceptance of interracial relationships increasing as the years go on. I hope that when my children are at the age I am at right now that they can feel free to date and love whoever they want.

World In Conversation : How do irrelevant racial signifiers affect racial stereotypes?- 119 Blog

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:10:48 +0000

Until I took this class, I used racial signifiers when it they were necessary to be used and did not use them when I should have. By listening to Sam, I learned early on that race didn’t define people and they way they live, think or feel. So when Sam was discussing the different stages and realizing when signifiers should and should not be used, it made me feel like I was learning and growing in race. I noticed when I went home that that its not uncommon for people in my area to used signifiers when they’re not meant to me used because the subject of race is still touchy. The stereotypes of all races, Black, Asian, Mexican, are very prevalent in my area. I think signifiers being used unnecessarily are a major cause for stereotypes and the fact that that they are still around today. I have lost count of how many times I hear someone complain about a bad driver along with mentioning they are Asian. The fact that the bad driver is Asian provides absolutely no extra meaning to the story. There is no reason to even mention the race. But the stereotype of Asians being bad drivers influences the use ofsignifiers. Just as much as using signifiers affects racial relations, I think not using signifiers affects the relationship as well. I don’t think that not using signifiers really relates to stereotypes however. I just think that it shows a person is fearful of race and discussing it whenever they decide not to use signifiers when it is needed. It would be interesting to see if stereotypes affect the use of signifiers or if signifiers affect stereotypes more. I tend to think that they affect each other equally. Its hard to get rid of the wrong usage of signifiers because not everyone even realizes what they are doing. Their feeling toward race are subconscious and they have not yet entered the stage of awakening. The only real way to call attention to the issue of signifiers and the wrong and right uses of them is to be educated on the subject. From education can come the awareness that is needed to correct the issue. However, the wrong use of signifiers is not the only component of the reason why stereotypes still exist today. There are many components, media being a major factor, that contribute to stereotypes and they must all be confronted if stereotypes are to ever go away. I was very interested in what other people thought, so I asked my room mate what she thought about the subject. She thought political correctness had a lot to do with the use of signifiers. We as a society have been programmed to leave race behind so if someone were to say something like “the Black girl loaned me a pencil” some may find that to be a bit to forward. Bottom line: society as a whole needs to be educated in order for the problem with signifiers and stereotypes is ever to be corrected.

World In Conversation : How do you feel about the way people live in America compared to other places around the world?- 119

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:26:22 +0000

We are spoiled; so spoiled that its hard to even fathom. The “we” I am talking is Americans. There are so many things that we have and consider basic rights of all humans but there are so many people in other countries who have nothing. I always hear about the conditions other people live in from countries like Haiti or India, and I can somewhat understand the pain they go through. But I feel like until I spend a day without a bed or hot food, I really won’t feel how these other people feel. It just boggles my mind that there are people who literally have NOTHING. I don’t even know what that looks like. Just the other day, I went to Target to find some decorations for my apartment. Can you imagine how a person from Haiti would react if they walked into Target? What else boggles me is how this type of lifestyle can still exist today when we have advanced so far in our society. For pete’s sake we have beds that can move and inflate or deflate to your comfort. You mean to tell me we can’t give simple metal coil mattresses to those who have to sleep on the cold ground. In an article in the Los Angeles Times and written by Mitchell Landsberg, it discusses the day in the life of a Haitian tent city. An excerpt from the article states: It is 6:30 a.m., and the refugee settlement known as the Daihatsu camp is coming to life for another day. "God is looking for you!" the first preacher shouts in Creole. "God needs you! . . . Give him your life! Give him your life! Because he lets you borrow it, he can take it whenever he wants!" The other woman sings: "The world is not easy. The world is not easy. But God is with us, God gives us grace, for he is looking at you." About 20 yards away, a group of teenage girls is in line at the one portable toilet in this camp of about 8,000 refugees from the Jan. 12 earthquake, one of about 500 such tent cities that have sprung up around the Haitian capital. "You have to listen to them," one is telling another, nodding toward the street preachers. "You have to have faith." One toilet for 8,000 refugees? What is that! But the problem of adequate restrooms is not the only or most serious issue that faces other countries that Americans do not see. The whole issue with slavery and the fact that the number of slaves is the highest it has ever been is a pressing issue. However, since slavery is banned in the United States, Americans think that it all together doesn’t exist and do not see the issue that affects so many people and their families. I thank God everyday for the things I have and the life I lead, but having such a lifestyle can lead to ignorance. Growing up in a society that has so much teaches that every country is like the United States.

World In Conversation : How have the choices you've made and determinism affected your life?- 119 Blog

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 04:25:43 +0000

Determinism or free will? To explain my life and how I truly believe, I say both. Life is made up of choices, which plays into free will. Its also made up circumstances that are beyond our control, which plays into determinism. By only believing in free will, you are being ignorant of what shaped you into the person you are today. By only believing in determinism, you are making excuses for the way your life has turned out. The color of my white skin is part of the determinism aspect of my life. I have no control over the color of my skin or the fact that I’m a female. I grew up in a white suburbian town that influenced the way I think of the world and the people I have met. My parents raised me with love and care and always looking for my best interests. They were very selfless raising me and having that unconditional love allowed me to grow up without inhibitions. My mom was more than willing to help me with homework and my dad was great in helping me put together tough projects. My parents came to every banquet and every concert. It may not seem that going to every special event would shape me as a person, but it gave me the confidence in knowing that my parents fully backed me up. I was fortunate enough to live in a school district that was accommodating to everyone and offered a good education. I was the youngest of three children; my sister is eight years older than me and my brother is four years older than me. There have been so many studies done on how birth order and difference in ages affects how a person will develop. I didn’t have any control over where I was in the birth order of my family or how many years would separate us. My parents didn’t go to college. If life were based solely on determinism that would mean that I wouldn’t have gone to school either. But here I am at Penn State. My parents pay for my school and I don’t have any financial aid, but I still work two jobs. Free will. The circumstances I grew up in mean I should be somewhere completely different in my life. But because of my free will, I made the choices I made to get me where I am today. “I do not believe in freedom of will. Schopenhauer's words, 'Man can indeed do what he wants, but he cannot want what he wants', accompany me in all life situations and console me in my dealings with people, even those that are really painful to me. This recognition of the unfreedom of the will protects me from taking myself and my fellow men too seriously as acting and judging individuals and losing good humour.” This quote is from Albert Einstein. He believed in determinism which shows that even the smartest people will have skewed beliefs on the debate between determinism and free will

World In Conversation : Why Do We Associate With People of The Same Race and Ethnicity as Ourselves?- 119 Blog

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 02:17:04 +0000

I grew up in a small town that had hardly any diversity when I was growing up. When I go back home now, I can’t believe how diverse it has become and how the kids who grew up their are growing up much differently than I did. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to grow up in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, or San Francisco where people from everywhere come together. I notice that my friends are not very diverse and are for the most part have the same ethnic and racial backgrounds as me. I think this stems from the fact that I was used to growing up with other people who looked just like me. If I grew up in a more diverse environment then I feel certain it would be more of an instinct to have diverse friends. It doesn’t sound right, but I just feel comfortable being friends with people who look like me. I know their culture, I know what traditions they may have, I know their way of life even if its just a little bit. With other ethnic and racial groups its more of a guessing game for me. The idea of learning about other people’s cultures and their way of life sounds great to me, but the act of actually doing it is somewhat daunting to me. My I will say I have been better about learning other people’s cultures and friending them since I’ve come to Penn State. I feel like this class will help me make my circle of friends even more diverse within the one year I have left at Penn State. As for other students and why they choose to hang out with others who look like them, I don’t know what the reason for that would be. Maybe its my reason of diving into the “unknown” or maybe its something else. But I think the whole problem would be a whole lot different if it were only one race or ethnic background that hung out with the same race and ethnic background. But every different race, Asian, Black, Latino, and White all do it whether they realize it or not. Take for instance the movie “Mean Girls.” The cafeteria was set up with each table being made up of a different race. The writers of the movie knew that this problem does not just take one race as its victim. For this problem to go away completely, diversity needs to happen everywhere and at a young age. Children need to be exposed to other people’s cultures and beliefs and realize that in their differences, friendship can be found. If we can instill this message into elementary schools and middle schools around the country, that differences can bring people together, then this issue will go away.

World In Conversation : Why Do We Still Have Stereotypes? - 119 Blog

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 20:59:39 +0000

Stereotypes: They’ve been around since... forever. These stereotypes have been passed down from generation to generation through media, family, and other aspects of life. These stereotypes have been proved wrong time and time again but they still keep popping up. Why? Because its just another EASY way to categorize people. Stereotyping allows assumptions to be made; a way to figure out what a person is like through their appearance. Yes its wrong but I feel as if stereotypes will never go away because of human’s need to categorize and figure out other people. We can all say that we will stop stereotyping, but that’s like saying you’ll never judge another person; sometimes we just slip up and it happens. These stereotypes and judgments have been ingrained into our minds our whole lives; its a hard habit to break! I stereotype even if I don’t realize it. I try not to and when I do realize I am I try and figure out why I’m doing it. I also try to get to know those who I might stereotype against but somehow I still do it. In my major (Public Relations) we are told to find out who are target audience is and the characteristics they have. We’re told to give just a few characteristics to a HUGE group of people; to characterize them based on very little information. Bad campaigns can come from this concept. Take for instance a commercial that KFC aired in Australia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxcvlskexzc. Now exactly what audience KFC was trying to reach, I don’t know, but it was pretty stupid to base a publicly aired commercial based on a stereotype. (KFC received so many complaints about the commercial that it only ran once or twice after the initial broadcast before they took it completely off the air). The questions in class about stereotypes shows how even educated people can fall to stereotyping. I can’t even imagine what the mentality is like of those who aren’t as well educated. “Stereotypes are devices for saving a biased person the trouble of learning” The speaker of these words are unknown, but truer words could not have spoken. I do not see a solution to stereotypes in the near future but if we start to educate earlier about stereotypes and how they are absolutely false then it may have an impact for future generations. Stereotypes are ever prevalent in high schools: the jock, the brain, the princess, the criminal, and the kook (pardon my line from the Breakfast Club). But in all seriously stereotypes, whether they are racial or not, are thought as normal at such an early age which calls for action at an early age.