en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1131100 Comments by liz_11o https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85426602 Once again, lecture has proved to link ideas together that I have never thought to do. Once brought to my attention, it is pretty clear just how related affirmative action and nepotism really are. To be honest, although I guess it is not the most respectable thing, I have certainly been the “victim” of nepotism as well. I have gotten every job, besides the one I currently have, because of someone I know (whether it be my grandfather, or a friend of my dad, etc). What I do feel is that, nepotism is something that really can’t and will never be avoided. Although it’s nice to think of a perfect world where everyone will be “equal” and no one will be judged based on their race, age, social status, etc – it will never happen. But really, the “victims” of this nepotism don’t have a complaint (including myself) – so why would people that get to be fortunate jeopardize their lives/futures? Personally, I think it’s one of those things that are pretty interesting to analyze, but near impossible to change. What I found to be the most interesting (and pretty damn hilarious) was the survey of the Ten Commandments. I suppose that being raised Roman Catholic can certainly contribute to my feelings on this aspect of the lesson. However, it just proves exactly how hypocritical so many people are and how they go on thinking. The contrasting percentages were incredible. For example, the 64% that follow the first commandment vs the 15% of others that follow – it’s almost laughable. It’s just very prominent, especially through these surveys, just exactly how people perceive themselves as better than the people around them. The other survey I enjoyed was that of the Floridians. To think that the same amount of people that think they conserve enough water, also think that their neighbors should do more is actually ridiculous. It makes me pretty mad that people could try to make themselves better than others, even in a survey about water conservation. I think that Dr. Richards slide about “we generally perceive ourselves as” really hits the nail on the head about pretty much the majority of society. It’s constant judging between one another, even strangers passing on the street. Overall, I think that the sad realization at hand is that inequalities are her e to stay. It is both unfortunate and fortunate for all people around the world. Affirmative action and nepotism are here to stay. No matter how much it isn’t fair, and really goes against our principals as Americans, it’s become a way of life. Social status, race, financial status, “who you know”, etc will always exist. And as long as those things exist, so will the discrimination associated with these two concepts. Thu, 8 Jul 2010 02:25:13 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85426602 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85421648 I can definitely relate to that way you are thinking and experiences you have had. I agree entirely about your statement regarding opportunities resulting from the equality standard you live in. As much as I don't think I am proud to say that most of my opportunities have arisen because of nepotism (jobs, school, etc), I can't say I have ever really tried to stop it. You put it very well when you said always wanting to be the "victim". Especially in my town, nepotism goes a veryyy long way. To this day, my grandfather will still say "we'll get ya in to vet school, just get okay grades, I know people". So I know where you are coming from when you say that you have used nepotism. Finally, I agree entirely with your thoughts on Penn State and nepotism. Thu, 8 Jul 2010 01:47:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-8-lesson-14-affirmative-action__trashed/#IDComment85421648 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment85055545 Although I guess it is not a good trait to possess, I can without a doubt say I am generally not very educated on the current events and issues taking place in our society. Unless it is a major problem, or directly effects my way of life (or at least that I notice it effecting me), I seem to shut it out. I don’t really even watch the news or read the paper, beyond my local town’s dramatics. This also rings true about my knowledge of immigration. So overall, I can’t really say that I have a formed or educated opinion on the topic, even after lecture. However, as usual, lecture was very interesting – in this case particularly to hear about immigration from the business standpoint. The first thing that really “caught my eye” was the cartoons Dr. Richards displayed in the beginning of class. I always enjoy how he can incorporate humor into lecture and at times break things down to a simpler level. However, these cartoons really struck me. My favorite was definitely the one where the native American was saying “I’ll help you pack”. It is so overlooked (as I truly never put in any thought to it) that Europeans “discovering” America were the first immigrants. And when Dr. Richards said that it was actually terrorism, I completely agree. It just angers me sometimes how hypocritical our society can be and how easily we can forget exactly what our forefathers did in the past decades. The other thing I want to talk about is those people that say/think “if you are going to move to America – be American (i.e. speak English, wear American clothes, etc). Being honest, I once agreed with this idea. However, when I really put myself in their places, my thoughts have changed. If I were to be thrown into another country, I would not be able to speak that language or conform to their customs immediately. America is the “poster country”. And by this I mean we pride ourselves on our freedoms, democracy and acceptance for others. However, I really don’t think that it is true for the majority of our society. So many people are so quick to criticize others, especially in the case of immigrants, before actually considering the perspective of the other individuals or groups. We are becoming more and more hypocritical every day, and ruining the reputation we pride ourselves on as Americans. Overall, I don’t really have much to say on the actual issue at hand of immigration – simply because I don’t think my opinion would even make much sense. But what I can say, which is true of many issues that have been brought up throughout this class, it is something that I will be definitely paying more attention to in the future. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 01:16:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment85055545 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment85053639 Well I can definitely relate to how you are feeling, which of course is confused. I also am not sure how I stand on this issue, and frankly I don't think I am informed enough to actually hold a valuable and respectable opinion on the issue. It was however, interesting to hear about aspects of this issue from the business perspective. But although I don't know much about the issue, when I thought about how business is so involved, I wanted to kick myself - duh, the business world is involved with every issue of our society. I just suppose I should become more educated on this subject and be able to learn more about it. Overall, as usual, I did enjoy the lecture. Tue, 6 Jul 2010 01:00:30 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-13-immigration__trashed/#IDComment85053639 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83610433 I totally understand where you are coming from with your posts. I was also raised Catholic and attended parochial school. At the time, I don't think I put too much thought into what exactly was being drilled into us as students. It was such a sheltered and biased view to be raised on. Now that I am older, and I think back to Catholic school and CCD class, it's almost sickening to really analyze what they were telling us, at such young kids. It is terrible to think that religion can be so hypocritical. On the other hand, I also understand your story about your grandma. It sounded like you were exactly describing my grandmother too. She is a harmless woman, and has love for every single person on this earth but is simply just old-fashioned. For example, I have a very close knit family and have 10 first cousins that I see regularly. My cousin is gay and simply will not tell my grandma in fear of hurting her. Now it's not that would stop loving him, but it is just not how she was raised and would be too hard for her to change her views. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:26:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83610433 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83609059 First I’d like to touch on the first part of this week’s lecture – multiculturalism. I think the survey Dr. Richards provided was pretty typical of stereotypes. It makes a lot of sense which groups were more in favor of living in a more diverse community than others. Breaking it down, the first most obvious one that I think most people would be able to predict was that Democrats were more in favor than Republicans – especially the more liberal democrats. To be honest, if the statistics were the other way around I would have been very surprised. But an interesting point Dr. Richards brought up was that maybe many of these people within the statistics, especially in the area of the Democrats, is that maybe they felt they had to answer that way. It is interesting to think that people become sort of “trained” in their opinions based on what political party they are rather than actually thinking through each issue at hand. I definitely think that many people that label themselves Democrats are probably trained to be politically correct and answering questions towards the liberal side is pretty much second nature to them. This is why I truly don’t like the idea of identifying with a political party (which is a whole other topic in itself). But it just seems that once you categorize yourself in these groups, it is hard to form opinions differently from your most typical response. The next group that I was not surprised by was when it was broken into age group. It came to no surprise that the younger generation, as opposed to the 65+, were more in favor of more diversity within his or her environment. I think many of these individuals that can be referred to as senior citizens are just very old-fashioned. This is certainly true for my grandparents. They are in no way racist, but I think it is just hard for people who grew up in such a different time and world all together to really be able to accept the amazing progression our society has today. The last statistic comparison I want to mention is that of college grads versus high school grads. I know this statistic definitely rings true for if I was polled at both stages of my life. College really turns many individuals’ perspectives of the world and society around them – especially when you take classes like this! The other thing I want to mention is from the LGBT part of the lecture. Growing up Catholic and attending parochial school, my brain was pounded with all the “sins” we commit. It is honestly amazing to me that in religion, being homosexual is a sin. It just makes me really angry to think that while religion and belief in a higher power, is in general supposed to something for individuals to feel accepted and welcomed into. It just seems that so much of religion is truly so hypocritical. Thu, 1 Jul 2010 01:20:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-7-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt__trashed/#IDComment83609059 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81826839 The most interesting thing I thought about during this lecture is how whites do not typically perceive themselves as a “race” in the same sense that black and browns are a “race”. White people in this country are pretty much never in a minority group or struggle with the problems and issues individuals in these groups have to deal with. What is also interesting and very true is that most white people don’t think of racism as anything but a white person being prejudicial against a black or brown. What came to my mind when I thought of this was an experience I had when I completed the race relations project in the beginning of freshman year. The project was really very interesting. It was awkward at first to be in a circle of strangers of different ethnicities. And you knew other then the group leaders, everyone was “forced” to be there (aka it was needed for a class). But what I specifically remember from this group was when we were talking about racism and one of the other white females in the group called something “reverse racism”. Now at first, being a white female, I knew what she was talking about. she was talking about a black or brown person being racist towards a white person. But it wasn’t until the group leader spoke up about this that I really realized that it was a totally ridiculous way to categorize something. Racism is not just whites against other groups. And as the other members of the group really began to give their perspective on this phrase the girl had mentioned, I almost felt ashamed to be able to identify with it. it really is an issue in our society. Racism needs to be known as what it is: a prejudice from one group to another. This was just a really interesting experience I probably won’t ever forget. The other thing I wanted to comment on was the diversity – or lack thereof – that we have at Penn State. It was really interesting to look at the percentages of races in major cities and then compare to Penn State. But in my case, Dr. Richards was right, I don’t really notice that we are predominately a white campus. In fact, I feel like we have a ton of diversity here. I guess that is entirely because I went to a high school, with a graduating class of 220, where I would guess that 210 were white. It all comes down again to past experiences. And it proves that how you were raised, your experiences, and past situations you have been put it really shape how you view your surroundings – especially regarding race. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:15:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81826839 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81824687 I agree entirely with your post. It's definitely true that many people are not raised to talk or form opinions about race. Watching the example of the singers was pretty shocking and upsetting at the same time. But I do agree - it isn't their fault. A way an individual is raised plays such a huge part of how they perceive the world and the opionions they possess. Many people are definitely too quick to play the blame game. The last part is definitely true also- people conceive racism as whites being rascist towards other only. Being "white" is definitely a race too. overall, I think you make really good points. Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:01:54 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-6-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-people-of-color-stages-1-4__trashed/#IDComment81824687 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment80524670 I also think this is a really good point. Issues with race can and do often start with family life. I know that growing up in a predominately white neighborhood and attending a small catholic school I did not encounter many people of different races. It wasn’t until middle school, where I switched to a public school that I was really confronted with any racial diversity. I think it is definitely something that should be stressed and brought up to young children. With more racial diversity and knowledge as a young child, this can hopefully begin to help mend issues we have without our society today. Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:57:45 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment80524670 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment80524308 I think the way Dr. Richards introduced this topic was really interesting. It is definitely entirely true that we only identify ourselves with certain aspects or characteristics we possess. In most of what Sam said, I fell into those categories. I am white, straight, average height, and right handed. I never really stopped ever to think that these qualities had a huge bearing in my life, probably because they don’t really. But when I put myself on the other side of things, I can see how these qualities might actually affect an individual. If I were a short, left-handed, homosexual I think those things would definitely affect my life. It is sad but true that minority groups or qualities can have such a huge impact on a person’s life. Although the stories about the disabled people were funny yet sad, I think it really was a good example of how disengaged we are from people or situations that we don’t have experience with. When he was telling the story about smoking weed and the disabled guy in the pool – I laughed and thought “wow what an ass”. But really when I took the time to put myself in that situation I think I would have done the exact same thing. It’s amazing how truly disconnected a person can be when you aren’t faced with that situation every day. The last part I want to comment on is that of political correctness. The sign was a great example of how people and groups tip toe around this issue. It’s almost more offensive in a way to have to go to such great measures to try and hide what you really mean – especially when everyone already knows. The clip of the interview about the sign was perfect. It was obvious exactly what the sign was made for. It was totally laughable when the guy was trying to convince the guy interviewing him and the audience that it was just a family you might see taking a run across the highway. The other example with the elderly senator was good too. It is so clear that he had to try so hard to find the right wording to try and get his message across. It was almost painful to watch as he had to take so long to let out a simple message. Then the fact that he have such an in depth apology for simply stating what he was actually thinking is really just obnoxious. We all know that racism and issues regarding race exist in our society today. however I think the idea that everything needs to be politically correct actually is making our problem worse – or essentially brushing it to the side and dealing with it later. Instead of hiding behind this idea of correctness we as a society should address the issue at hand. Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:53:16 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/06/week-5-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-white-people-stages-3-4__trashed/#IDComment80524308 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78860981 I really enjoyed the clip from Oprah and thought it supplemented this lecture very well. I do agree with you that this action may have been counter-productive though. I know that that majority of the students sent to the less privileged area probably felt very fortunate after their visit. It is always a good experience when individuals get to be reminding just how lucky they are. However, it’s kind of like a tease for those that attended the worse school. It was kind of like dangling something that they will probably never see in their high school career in front of their faces and then yanking it back away. I can definitely see some of those kids harboring feelings of animosity. On the other hand, this could have motivated some students to be more determined to beat the odds and really make a productive life for his or her self. Overall, I think it was definitely a good aid to really take a look at the differences within incomes of families and their opportunities. Mon, 7 Jun 2010 03:45:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78860981 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78860615 I found this week pretty interesting. The part I really liked the best was the idea of our biological differences factoring into our lives so much. The slide Dr. Richards went over after comparing himself to Brandon was most shocking. 99.9% the human genome is the same in everyone, leaving only .01% for variety. That blew my mind. To think that we are all so alike, yet so incredibly different is a really interesting thing to think about. My favorite part of the lecture was the comparison between the body types for athletes (especially the fact that Rugby players were mentally ill =P). I have always been involved in sports. In high school, I played basketball (actually, I lived, breathed, and ate basketball), field hockey, tennis, and ran track for a year. Although it was only high school, the range of different body types of girls in these sports was amazing. Now there was variety within each sport, mostly lying in the fact that sports were open to anyone and my high school didn’t “cut” players. But the differences between the best players of the league in each sport were extreme. For example, the best basketball players were tall, long, and quick. The best field hockey players were broad in the shoulders, muscular, and could be deemed “tough”. Dr. Richards description of the “track star” was spot on. In my high school, our best sprinter was one of the top in the state – and was the exact description given in class. What was also interesting during the discussion of sports was the aspect of money. I never really thought that what sports people played could be so directly related to money. But when you really think about it, some sports are much more expensive than others – which does correlate directly to income. The second aspect of this lecture that I wanted to touch on was the differences between schooling relating to income and race. The statistics that 9 in 10 graduates of families earning at least 80 grand go on to take college class versus the 6 in 10 of those with less that 33 grand really sums up the issue. Although I agree that everyone does have to work hard and give an effort to make things happen for them in live, but money does go a hell of a long way. It all pretty much boils down to opportunity. Basically, more money equals more opportunity. It’s a sad thing to have to come to terms with but it is true. Once again, this lecture kept me interested and wanting to hear and investigate more. It was amazing to really sit back and take it all the aspects of our everyday life that are directly related to financial status. … I know my blogs are like a big run on sentence but this class makes my head spin! Mon, 7 Jun 2010 03:40:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality__trashed/#IDComment78860615 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism__trashed/#IDComment78304167 I agree 100% with you on this issue. Although hunting may seem gruesome to some people, it is not only humane but it is necessary. Being a prevet major I had to take a meat production course at PSU and throughout the semester we learned all about the slaughter, grading, and selling processes. To say the very least, this is a horrible experience for the animals. Not only is it an inhumane way to die, these factory farm animals live in horrible, horrible conditions for most of their short lives. Honestly, if people actually begin to research this issue, I think so many people will be astonished and appalled at the severity and truth behind the issue. It all boils down to the lack of education most members of society have. And of course, I am very uneducated on many issues but I do happen to know quite a bit on this and most issues in the animal world. Factory farming by far is horrible for the animals and the consumers. I agree completely with your post. Thu, 3 Jun 2010 02:26:57 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism__trashed/#IDComment78304167 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism__trashed/#IDComment78302596 Once again, this class has yet to bore me in the least. And on the contrary, it has proved even more engaging this week. First thing this week that really sparked some interest in me was the discussion of hunting and meat. As I am an Animal Science major here at PSU, I was forced (I say forced because required just isn’t a strong enough word in this matter) to take a meat production lecture and lab course. Now the lab course was in Penn State’s slaughter house (yes, we have one – it’s all the way behind Beaver Stadium). In this class, mainly in the lab portion, I learned alotttt about the meat production business (i.e. the slaughter process, grading, and selling of the meat). Needless to say, I still cringe when I think about that class. However, it is odd that even after that – I still have not stopped purchasing and costuming meat products. And to further prove your point I don’t think I could ever actually hunt or kill an animal (probably because I am going to be a veterinarian and well they don’t exactly go hand in hand). But it really is a funny thing to think about how people (including myself – even after being exposed to the horrific truth of the meat slaughter process) could eat meat yet be so opposed to hunting. The mystery of our minds and how we rationalize continues on. The other thing that really made me question myself was the comparison of actions between cultures – especially that of the criminal punishment. When I originally flipped through some slides early and came across the slide about public stoning, I was appalled. I am pretty much a wimp in the sense that I cannot seem to stomach any kind of human torture – even in movies. For example, during any kind of war movie or holocaust reenactment I either fast forward or shut my eyes. I sort of did the same thing with the slide of the stoned man and women, flipping quickly to the next slide. I tried to push it out of my mind until it came to that point in the lecture. It was when Sam compared it to the electric chair that I actually realized things like this happen in our country every day. How could stoning me any different? Yet still, for whatever reason, I think I could stomach watching an electrocution before I could watch individuals wailing a man and woman with rocks until death. Why? I really have no idea. I guess it just proves that the more accustomed to something you are, no matter how truly terrible it is, the easier to rationalize and accept that behavior. Thu, 3 Jun 2010 02:14:36 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism__trashed/#IDComment78302596 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race__trashed/#IDComment77262316 I completely agree with what aspects of this week’s lecture you touched on. First of all, I think Linneas was definitely biased to the “white race”. (I also think he was a total ass – but that’s irrelevant). He made race categories into stereotypes. And maybe these are the stereotypes that are still sometimes used by people today? It was interesting to learn the history behind the development of race. I also agree with your last statement entirely. I know that I am very pale, and according to lecture “white is beautiful”, however, I feel like a ghost! I utilize tanning booths several times a week. So essentially, whitening cream is like tanning for dark people? It will almost always come down to wanting what you can’t/don’t have. I was really interesting in your idea about how maybe people want to whiten their skin for the idea of creating more opportunities. This is a viewpoint and perspective I really never thought about. Thu, 27 May 2010 00:06:04 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race__trashed/#IDComment77262316 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race__trashed/#IDComment77261636 Although this class so far, this lecture in particular, has made me feel like a total ass so far (due to the fact that I didn’t guess one race correct throughout all the examples), it has once again proven to hold my attention for every single minute of the lecture. The first thing that I was interested to learn was the difference between race and ethnicity. i never really put any thought into the difference between the two. I know I have asked or been asked what my race or ethnicity was and I would answer the same for either: Irish and Italian. It seems stupid now, but it proves that if you don’t actually stop to think about these kinds of things, they don’t seem to have a bearing on your life. The next thing I enjoyed throughout the lecture was the sort of ‘guess the race’ game. When the boy with the 4.0 was brought to the front of the room to group his peers into racial groups, I found myself trying my best to group them as well. Needless to say, I did not get a single one correct. This was not only true for this activity. I didn’t get any correct from the slides either. It really made me sit back and think to myself how culturally retarded am I ?! There were countries I have never even heard of, and these are my peers! It’s really shocking how little I know about race and ethnicity. Another thing I really hadn’t thought about before this lecture and class, was the idea that relates to “all Orientals look alike”. Maybe it’s bad to admit, but I feel the same way. But what I never truly thought about was that white people must all look the same to people of other ethnicities as well. It is interesting to try and view these issues from all different perspectives, and it is something I don’t think I have ever taken enough time to do. In the second part of the lecture, I found the information about skin color to be most fascinating. I never really realized how much emphasis is put on skin color within all different societies and cultures. When I learned that skin whitening cream is the largest selling cosmetic product in the world. It is crazy to me, because while all these people are trying to whiten their skin, I am surrounded by an environment of my peers who would tan 5 times a day if they could. So although “white is beauty”, I don’t know if that applies to everyone? I definitely feel like my generation is more prone to thinking being “tan” is way more attractive that being pale. Overall, this class has continued to amaze me with all of the information I didn’t know. I look forward to being made an ass of more! Wed, 26 May 2010 23:57:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race__trashed/#IDComment77261636 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807380 In regards that from taking the quiz, you realized that you don’t know very much – I am in the same boat. I got just around a 20% on the quiz, and frankly, I wasn’t even expecting it to be that high. “But what really hit me was how we push this information out of our minds and ignore it”. You hit the nail on the head with that statement. it is terrible to admit that I think I am with the majority when I say that I push this information right out of my head too. It’s honestly a shame how little educated we are on these issues. I think this class is really going to prove to be an eye opening experience. Sun, 23 May 2010 17:16:26 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807380 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807280 The last question that came as a surprise to be was question #8. This was the question about the how many native American tribes are recognized in the United States. I flip flopped back and forth between 17 and 104 for about 5 minutes. I even went back and changed it a few times until deciding 104 was my final answer. I never thought it was 282, nor did I even CONSIDER it the correct answer to be 562. Although it was a little comforting that the two answers I thought were correct were what the majority of the class thought as well, it is still awful to be that only 4% of the class considered the answer to be 562 – and most of those were probably guesses. Overall, I am really disappointed with how little I actually am aware of the culture and diversity within the country I live in. I am definitely more excited to take this class then I was at first, as I hope to come out of this semester knowing a lot more about our society. Sun, 23 May 2010 17:14:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807280 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807258 The next question that I was surprised by the answer was #6. I truly can’t believe that only 5% of men compared to the 14%of women between the ages of 20-24 have had sex with someone of the same gender. Initially, I never thought that the number or women would be higher for this statistic. I guess I just based solely off of my life experiences. Even as a student at Penn State, I feel that I see many more gay couples that lesbians. I know that this question was about having sex, but I still feel that society has many more male gays then lesbians – especially within this age group. I was interested to see that big of a difference within the percentages. Sun, 23 May 2010 17:14:40 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807258 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807240 I must admit that in taking this class, my sole purpose was to find a web course to satisfy the rest of my general education requirements. However, after the first lesson alone this course has already proved to seem very interesting and relevant to life. Unfortunately, I don’t consider myself to be very knowledgeable about culture diversity. But, after the first lecture, it really hit me how very little I do actually know. Needless to say, I was very far from passing the Whad’ya Know quiz. There were so many answers to those questions that I was truly shocked about – while there were others I had absolutely no idea of the correct answers. I’ll just mention a couple of the topics/questions mentioned that really seems surprising to me. Question #4 is one that really shocked me. This was the question about which group is most likely to attempt suicide. Although I am not educated on this area, young Hispanic females probably would have been my last choice. When taking the quiz, I originally thought young white females; when reviewing it I probably would have chosen LGBT youth. I guess I just figured these groups would have the most issues that cause depression. I also didn’t really take into account that the word attempt was the key word within the question. Either way, this was surprising to me. Sun, 23 May 2010 17:14:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/05/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know__trashed/#IDComment76807240