en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2397222 Comments by psu2012 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/why-does-society-dislike-immigrants-and-why-are-they-portrayed-badly-119-blog/#IDComment144672623 I think that there are many reasons why a lot of Americans “hate on” immigrants, particularly illegal immigrants. The first and most prevalent reason is that a lot of Americans are racist and discriminatory. They immediately generalize and categorize people who are different from themselves. These actions are somewhat understandable because whenever you meet or see someone new, you tend to become a little bit afraid and may even feel threatened. Many Americans feel threatened by illegal immigrants. They feel that illegal immigrants will steal their jobs. Poorer Americans who can not find work often blame the problem on illegal immigrants. The funny part is that the jobs that the immigrants take are usually jobs that Americans will not take. Not many Americans want to pick peaches or harvest tomatoes or wash dishes. Illegal immigrants usually perform duties that Americans are unwilling to do themselves. In order for our economy to keep growing in the fashion that is has been (maybe not currently but on the average) then we will need the influx of illegal migrant workers in order to keep prices low, consumers happy, and capitalism growing. Another thing that many Americans worry about when they think about illegal immigration is safety. Many people feel that because the individuals are here illegally, that they will not be afraid to break the laws, or that they may not even know the laws of our country. This is also funny because most illegal immigrants know that if they ever get caught here that they will get into big trouble. Therefore, they stay on the down low as much as possible. They always avoid conflict because if they were to do something stupid, they would get deported in a heart beat. Most illegal immigrants do not get into trouble with the law because of their fear of being caught. Another reason my many Americans have a negative attitude towards illegal immigrants is because of the strain that these individuals place on our social service programs. For instance, if an illegal immigrant (or the child of an illegal immigrant) is injured or becomes ill, hospitals are required to treat the person. And, the hospitals are reimbursed for the care that they provide from the federal government. And, the government gets this money by taxing its legal residents. These legal residents are upset because they are paying for services of someone who is essentially live here for free. It can kind of be compared to having a roommate who doesn’t pay the rent. After a while, you get really angry that you pay for yourself as well as him. It will probably even get to the point where you will kick him out of the apartment. This is a good way to think about Americans and their view on illegal immigrants. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 01:09:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/why-does-society-dislike-immigrants-and-why-are-they-portrayed-badly-119-blog/#IDComment144672623 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142862852 For me, the Native American lecture was one of the most impacting lectures I have ever heard. In elementary school we have all learned about different types of Native Americans and how they interacted with American settlers. The funny thing is that in our history classes, all of the facts are presented to depict Americans as those in the right, and Native Americans as those in the wrong. But, in actuality, the Native Americans were the first “colonizers” of the United States. They lived here long before any of the American Colonies existed. To finally realize how we came and destroyed their lives, land, and harmony is disturbing and eye-opening. And then, after destroying what they had, we placed them into “settlements” and justified the settlements as our compensation for their loss. We even allow them to own and manage casinos. How generous we are. The funniest part is that many times the casinos further destruct the Native American way of life. The gambling and distorted casino culture tears apart families and tribes. So, once again, we continue to deprive Native Americans of every ounce of life that they once had and currently long for. I understand how Sam said that actually coming to terms with real Native American history could be detrimental to our nation. However, I believe that we could, as a nation, realize the mistakes we have made in the past. If we were to admit to the atrocities that we have committed against Native Americans, we would set a great example to the world. We could show that we are morally committed to improving ourselves and others. And, if we could finally admit to what we have done, we could begin to actually help repair the destructed Native American way of life. The Native Americans, because of their small population size, lack of resources, and loss of their way of life…need our entire country to help them rebuild. We do not have to help them rebuild what they had. But, we do need to help them rebuild something. It is in our best interest to help their culture and beliefs flourish. We are a nation of many cultures (which mesh to form the American culture and way of life) and that is why we are great. Yea we have a huge army, tons of resources and power, but we are still great for other reasons. We are a nation of innovators and mostly good people. We just sometimes are unable to handle all the technology and power that we possess. It will take much reflection and understanding for us to come to terms with our actions and how they often differ from our intentions. Most Americans have good intentions! We just need to learn how to make the actualize. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:33:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/12/what-are-your-thoughts-on-everything-we-saw-and-heard-in-lecture-about-native-americans-119-blog/#IDComment142862852 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment138887154 I know that wealth is unequally distributed in the United States and the World. But, this is life. Nothing is equal and nothing is fair. This world is full of diversity. That said, some wealthy individuals are wealthy because they have “unfairly” used the system to become wealthier. If any of us assumed a position of power would we not use the power to advance ourselves? If you say “no, I would never do that. That isn’t fair” then I believe that you are a liar. We always use our power and connections to advance ourselves. When I apply to medical school I will use every connection I have at each school in order to increase my chances of acceptance. Does this mean that I may be accepted over someone who is exactly or slightly more qualified than me? Absolutely. Is it fair? No. Should I not use my advantage? No. Come on people, how can you not understand what it would be like to be in power and to be wealthy. I am neither wealthy nor powerful but I understand why the wealthy act the way that they do. And, I can’t blame them. So, as far as this topic goes, I think we need to maintain social justice, transparency, morality, etc. But, we cannot blame the wealthy for wanting to remain wealthy. Now I would like to respond to the first post. It may just be a pet peeve of mine, but I hate when people say “we are all going to die”. I understand the concept behind the phrase and the way of thinking. However, I think that it has become overused, especially in our Soc 119 class. The save all be all solution to every complex argument should not be “we are going to die”. I find those of you who overuse the phrase to be weak and immature. Man up and face your adversities and fears. Whenever something overwhelms you or you fail at something in life, DO NOT JUST SAY that you are going to die. I feel that people can get sucked into a warped state of mind where they accept failure. I have a friend who took Soc 119 last year and he uses the “death excuse” more times than I can count. He also has become less productive and cares less about actually succeeding. The overuse of this phrase has ruined his life, at least for the moment. So, I challenge cjchris39, most of the students in our class, and most of all Sam Richards to stop overusing the phrase: “It doesn’t matter because we are all going to die”. There are very few times when this phrase actually makes sense. Man up! Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:17:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment138887154 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/fear-2/#IDComment137147438 When I first read this story, I was almost brought to tears. Honestly, I assumed the abused child was a girl, because it was the father that was doing the raping, and was shocked to realize that it was actually a boy. I could not comprehend how the parents could do what they had done. How could they have hid the abuse from friends, family, and neighbors? How could they have brainwashed their other children into thinking that their actions were acceptable? I am not going to repeat everything that was described in the article, but to anyone who read it, I know how you feel. The actions that the man described are devastating and no human should have to endure such injustice. I became first sad, and then angry, and then frustrated after reading the story. But, then after thinking for a few minutes, I began to have doubts. Now I want to make it clear that I have no right to ultimately decide if the man is being honest or being a liar. I have not outside knowledge of the situation and I am not making that conclusion. All that I would like to say is: what if he is making up the entire story? I now find myself wondering why I initially believed everything that the criminal told me. Is it because he used descriptive and specific language? I am not sure. But, if he is in prison for life, twice, should I not first look at him in disbelief? Then, after research and analysis, I should consider believing him. At this point I am just curious as to why I believed his story to be fact over fiction. If it is true, which I believe it very well may be, then I feel loads of compassion and hurt for the man and his situation. But, I feel just as equally and strongly that he could have fantasized this story. If his two siblings are denying his story, and his parents are dead, I feel as though I should side with the siblings. We will never really know who is correct….the family or the abused man. This fact is also something that frustrates me as I just want to know the truth. I think that this story, and the way that I have analyzed its possibility of equally being fact or fiction, is a great example of how little we actually know. How much can actually be proven? How will we ever really understand what is fact and what is fiction? Is it always possible to know? Once again I would like to say that if this story is true, then I feel great regret for the man’s situation. And, if it is not true, I still feel regret because of the state of mind that the man is in. Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:38:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/23/fear-2/#IDComment137147438 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135470574 I have never really noticed white privilege until I took this course. Clearly, there are many free will choices that affect where an individual ends up in society; however, there are also many deterministic factors that play a role in an individual’s fate. White people in the United States are more likely to attend college, remain out of prison, own a home, and earn a living above the minimum wage when compared to almost any other race. Why is this the case? Well, there are many factors that need to be accounted for (that I do not have time to describe here), but there is also the fact that white people in the United States (and most of the world) experience the benefits of “white privilege”. White privilege is a term that represents all of the benefits that are associated with being white. As a white man, I am less likely to be discriminated against when I search for employment. I am also less likely to be a victim of a hate crime. I have no white privilege stories to tell and cannot think of a specific instance when I was the beneficiary of white privilege; however, I know that I have definitely been aided by white privilege during my lifetime. The closest experience that I can think of regarding white privilege would be how I am treated at airports. As we all well know, airports security checkpoints have tremendously increased their security procedures over the last ten years. Many airports even use full body scans of every individual boarding the airplanes. I have seen countless individuals stopped in the security lines so that they could be individually searched in more detail. I have never been stopped even though I have flown many times. Also, many of the individuals whom I have seen being screened are minorities. And, most of the minorities that are screened are Middle Eastern people. Is it a coincidence that Middle Eastern people are screened more than any other race? I think not. I would liken this example to a case of white supremacy. Now, to switch gears, I would like to state that I do not think that white supremacy is necessarily a bad thing. I think it is only bad when it directly harms a person of another race. The fact that white people prefer hiring or associating with other white people is not really bad. It is natural for people to be more accepting of others who look and act like they do. But, it is unfortunate for minorities who are getting the short end of the stick. I know I did a horrible job explaining my last point. Basically, I meant to say that a lot of times white supremacy occurs as a natural tendency and not as an act of racism. Because of this, I do not think that white supremacy is all wrong, although there is not much right about it. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:03:04 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/what-is-your-view-and-experience-with-white-privilege-119-blog/#IDComment135470574 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment132477436 I constantly feel guilty about being white. I feel awkward when I walk down the sidewalk and pass someone of a different race. I always feel paranoid about what he/she may be thinking of me. And, I usually assume the worst. I know that most people have some latent prejudice, including myself, but I usually do not project it in my daily life. This is what is most confusing to me. I do not understand or know why I feel guilty, I just do. I do not think that I should feel guilty because I did not put minorities into the situation that they are in today. And, I was born into my white skin and should feel proud and lucky about whom I am. The fact that I am white should not make me feel guilty. I do not discriminate against others (as much as possible) and try to treat everyone fairly and with respect. Yet, as I’ve said before, I still feel guilty for being white and it is something that I need to work on. As I have matured, the amount of guilt I feel has diminished, although it is still there. I think it is something that will take a lifetime to overcome. And, maybe it’s not such a bad thing because it does keep life interesting! Now, regarding the question as to whether other people of other races feel guilty, I believe that it depends on the context. If a person of a certain race has privileges when compared to surrounding citizens of another race, I feel that it is only natural for him or her to feel guilty about the situation. We cannot control the situations that we are born into, and we can also not completely control guilt. Guilt is something that naturally occurs. If we are conscious about guilt, we can work to overcome it. But, usually the task of overcoming guilt is arduous and full of setbacks. I would like to hear a minorities’ opinion on this topic being that I am white and I am only looking at this situation from my white perspective. Also, I would like to hear from the people who say that they do not feel guilt. I would like to know if they felt guilt in the past and have overcome the feeling, or if they just never felt guilt about the entire issue. And. If they did overcome the feeling of guilt, I would like to know what tactics they used to overcome this obstacle. It is something that I would love to be able to do. Once I can overcome this feeling of “white guilt”, I will be able to truly live a “colorless” life. Fri, 4 Mar 2011 22:15:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/02/do-people-feel-guilt-about-their-current-positions-when-knowing-about-the-disadvantages-of-the-freed-slaves-119-blog/#IDComment132477436 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130214556 There are so many factors that influence why many Americans consider foreigners so different that it would be difficult to list all of them in just one blog. I will try to explain the once that I think are the most important and obvious. One reason that I think Americans consider people from other countries so different is because of race. Just as we have been studying before, race is such a small part of what we really are, but it is often the most obvious outward characteristic of an individual. When a white American sees an Asian, or African, or whatever type of person, he initially cites the many different characteristics among the groups of people. He distinguished among the eye shape, nose shape, skin color, etc. and immediately classifies the person as an “other” or different. Another factor that makes Americans feel like foreigners are considerably different than themselves is language. When Americans hear a foreign tongue, they become confused. Because they have no idea what they are hearing, they usually assume the worst. Even the sentences structure and phonological differences are intimidating and scary to some Americans. Also, the language difference creates a barrier that many Americans cannot overcome. Because they cannot communicate with another person, they can never learn how similar that person may be to themselves. And, because I said before that it is easy to see differences, the inability to resolve these apparent differences through language makes the whole situation compounded. Another factor that makes Americans feel that foreigners are so different is the fact that many foreigners have cultures that are different than the American culture. They have different foods, practice their religions differently, have different family values, have slightly different moral values, etc. These cultural differences continue to paint a divide in the minds of Americans. They never stop to think that even though the cultural factors may appear so different, the people underneath the culture are all looking for the same thing; they are looking for peace and happiness and prosperity. Humans are so similar that it makes me sick to think that many of us cannot realize that fact. It is disappointing that we have wars based on such small differences, when really, we are all brothers. We are more alike than we are different, even though that phrase is cliché, it is true. So, back to the topic of this post, I think that Americans view foreigners as very different people because it is hard for them to relate across the many physical, cultural, and mental barriers that I have mentioned. The only real way to see the similarities amongst people is to either experience a different culture, or to very analytically analyze our world. Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:10:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/23/why-do-we-think-of-people-from-other-countries-as-so-different-from-us-119-blog/#IDComment130214556 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/do-arrests-of-different-races-occur-more-due-to-racism-or-more-police-in-urban-areas-119-blog/#IDComment128615590 I think that there are many reasons to account for the alarming statistic that there are more black arrests (based on percent representation). Some of these reasons include: racism, location of arrests, and tendencies towards crime. Everyone knows that black-white racism exists in the Unites States. I am not saying that it is prevalent, but it is definitely evident. The judicial system is dominated by mostly white (Caucasian) individuals. Because there is a bias by some white people against blacks, there will clearly be some injustice when it comes to how fairly cases are treated between blacks and whites. If a black man and white man complete the same crime, and have the same record, it is more likely that the black man will go to jail compared to the white man. This is a clear cut example of racism. The only other explanation that could account for this phenomenon is that possibly because white men are wealthier than black men they can afford better attorneys. However, I am not so sure that this is completely the case. Another reason that black people may have higher prison numbers is because of the locations where they are committing their crimes. Many black people live in urban areas, and urban areas are generally the target of heavy arresting operations. Police forces are concentrated and targeted towards urban areas. And, because many black people live in urban areas, they just may be more inclined to be in “the wrong place at the wrong time”. This is in contrast to the higher amount of white people who live in suburban or rural areas. A third possibility as to why many blacks are imprisoned is simply that they are more inclined to commit crimes. This reason is not as strong or likely, however, it is definitely possible. Black culture and nature may place expectations on blacks that are not favorable. For instance, many blacks may feel like they will end up in jail, or that they will deal drugs, or that they will rob, etc. This is just because they have grown up in that type of environment. You will imitate what you see around you, and if you are surrounded by criminals, there is a good chance that you will become a criminal. Now, I am not a racist so I am not trying to be ignorant or to make huge generalizations. But, I do feel that the third reason I presented may play some type of role in the phenomenon. I think the biggest thing to take from this is that we will never really know why there is such a high proportion of blacks in jail. There are so many factors playing into the scenario that it is impossible to tell. If one factor is accounted for, the other factors change. It is a never-ending circle. The statistic may change over time, but I do not think that we can effectively do much about it. Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:48:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/do-arrests-of-different-races-occur-more-due-to-racism-or-more-police-in-urban-areas-119-blog/#IDComment128615590 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/are-you-a-liberal-or-a-conservative-119-blog/#IDComment126943008 I thought that class yesterday was very interesting and mind-opening. I was shocked, however, that Sam would actually classify himself as being more conservative than liberal. I was under the impression that he was “in the middle” when it came to most arguments. Maybe this is because he always equally presents both sides of view. It was kind of refreshing to see that he does lead to one side on a certain issue. Anyway, to get to the question, I actually feel that I am directly in the middle. At this time I cannot classify myself as either conservative or liberal. For some issues I lean towards the conservative end of the spectrum. For instance, in the United States, I feel that the government should make the tax system as basic as possible. The government should intervene as little as possible with the life of the people, and should let them progress on their own. I mean, of course we need to spend money on infrastructure, wars, etc, but we do not need as many of the “service” programs that we currently have. On the other hand, sometimes I am more of a liberal towards some topics. For instance, I am a strong supporter of equal rights. I think that helping those who are discriminated against, or at least giving them equal rights, is a fundamental mindset that we should have in this country. Or, when people are injured or disabled, I believe that the government should help them support themselves. I know these examples are probably vague, and might not be the best representations of liberal vs. conservative; however I wanted to prove the point that I feel that I am divided on this issue. I think that to label myself would be an injustice because then whenever a situation, problem, or dilemma would arise, I would expect myself to react in a specific way. If I am conservative, I will react like a conservative. And, if I am liberal, I will react like a liberal. I do not think that this is fair to my free thinking and free spirit. I should try not to limit my views or reactions so that I can approach every situation with a fresh approach, and open mind, and an array of past experiences. On another note, it is important to say that even if I do not “label” myself as conservative or liberal, I will still innately lean towards one side of the spectrum. If I had to guess I would say that I am slightly conservative. But, my mindset is to forget the label and to just be a human who thinks critically about all situations from many different points of view. Wed, 9 Feb 2011 17:16:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/08/are-you-a-liberal-or-a-conservative-119-blog/#IDComment126943008 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment125470115 I think that there is a very apparent reason as to why comedians of different races can affect audiences differently. It is important to keep in mind that a comdian is a performer. The goal of the performer is to appeal to whatever audience is placed in front of him. In rhetorical analyses, which can be applied to this context, an author appeals to the audience using pathos, ethos, and logos. Ethos, is ethical appeal to the audience. In order for the audience to accept what the comedian is saying, and to trust and respect him, it is important that the comedian is able to relate to his audience. Or, if he cannot relate, he should be able to relate to the group of people that he is talking about. By being able to relate to a group of people, or actually being a part of a group of people that he is talking about, the comedian seems credible. And, because the comedian seems credible, the audience will be more relaxed and accepting of the jokes that the comedian has to offer. For instance, it is hilarious when an asian comedian makes fun of asians. He can do an hour skit soley about asians and have the audience roaring in laughter. However, if a black man were to try to do the same skit, he would probably be much less successful. Many audience members would probably begin to wonder if he really knows that much about asians. Others may even wonder if he has the right to make many of the claims that he may be making. I am not saying that in order to be a successful comedian you must make fun of people who are in the same race at you, what I am really saying is that a comedian has a higher chance of success if he is able to incorporate ethos into his routine. And, it is easy to achieve ethos by simply appearing to be a relatable or knowledgeable person. It is much more logical to be entertained by a white guy making fun of other white guys, than a black guy making fun of other white guys. I am not saying the the latter does not exist, I am just saying that it is more difficult and not always successful. In summary, I do not think that it is a problem that comedians of certain races or ethnic groups elicit response from different audiences in different ways. This is the way of the world. This is life. I do not have a problem with it and feel that it is completely natural and human. I wonder if anyone else has a problem with it? Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:34:02 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment125470115 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/why-cant-we-just-be-human-119-blog/#IDComment124159826 We are all human. However, many factors and characteristics are over-emphasized as we all struggle for power. Most people do not want to be racist. Most people do not want to discriminate against others, or hurt others, or take advantage of others. But, a natural instinct for every human being is to protect him/her self and family before all others. In order to live stably, one must have power over others. Back in the beginning of the slave trade era, the Europeans did not hate Africans. They did not discriminate against “black people”. But, they needed laborers and decided that Africans were best suited for the job. In order to keep costs of production low, the European’s decided that the Africans would be slaves. And in order to keep them slaves, the European’s had to break down the humanistic characteristics of Africans. They began to discriminate against them based on skin color and other characteristics in order to dehumanize them. This same type of situation occurs every day. We discriminate against people who are smart, dumb, ugly, black, white, red, yellow, fat, skinny, etc. This is all perpetuated by the need to feel powerful and to maintain control and advantage over others. Without stereotyping it is nearly impossible to maintain control or advantage over another group of people. So, to get back on topic, we will never “just be humans” until we can somehow break the cycle of needing to have power and control over others. There will always be racism, discrimination, judgments, etc. until we can move on as a species and live together with a common goal that is possible for all. I honestly do not feel like this will happen until we begin to colonize other planets. Earth is too small for the societies we have created. Our next real opportunity to change the way we treat fellow humans will occur when we final move our colonies off of earth. New space, new adventures, new hardships, and new challenges, will force us humans to stick together. All of us. But, until that day, I do not see the slightest possibility of everyone just being considered “human”. On a side note, do we really want to all just be considered “human”? I love the fact that there are black people, yellow people, white people, fat people, tall people, gay people, and smart people. If we were all the same life would be so damn boring. So, I do hope that we can all be treated like “humans” one day. But, I do not want the diversity or variation among our species to disappear. I love what we have and we just need to work harder to perfect out existence! Thu, 27 Jan 2011 18:47:48 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/26/why-cant-we-just-be-human-119-blog/#IDComment124159826 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122632064 This post is to make up for being short of 450 words because Sam misspoke and said we only needed 350. So, adding to my previous post and considering discussions form today, I think that it is important to note that race is something that usually has an ulterior motive. Why do we create races? We create races for power. We like to have control over others. We like to be the best. By categorizing individuals, and making groups of people who are not “as good as us”, we can maintain our control and power. Racism is simply a power technique. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:41:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122632064 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122423441 I thought the class exercise was both stimulating and point-proving. I have never really considered that race really is not something that is scientific or natural. I mean, to group people arbitrarily on certain characteristics (and not others) seems pretty funny. I knew that the girls would be unable to perfectly group the people into races, but I was impressed by the mistakes that they made. To group a Mexican with a Middle Eastern Indian is a mistake that most people would assume to be impossible. I think that this exercise really showed that stereotypes exist, grouping and selectiveness exists, and racism exists. However, the factors influencing racism are completely arbitrary. To divide the group based on eye shape, or nose shape does not make sense. Why don’t we group them based on finger length? Why don’t we group them based on the proportion of their height to their waist? These categories are just as arbitrary as the former. I thought a problem with the exercise was that Sam chose the smartest people in the class. Yes, I understand he was trying to prove a point that it is difficult to avoid racism, even for intelligent individuals. However, it would have been much more valid and representative to have the “categorizers” be individuals with average societal intelligence. Maybe I am being too nitpicky, but I would rather have seen those results instead. A question that this activity brought to my mind is, do we really know that race is not an innate human function? I mean, I can see it as an advantage to be able to group people into categories. I mean, true, we will not always be correct in our groupings, but, I feel that most of the time we will be correct. And, this is an advantage because it allows you to make necessary assumptions when encountering new and unfamiliar people. If we naturally did not group people into categories it would be impossible to make sense of all the variety and similarity in the human population. I think that races are natural and necessary, but that racism is something that has been taken too far. Hopefully we continue talking about this as the course continues. Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:54:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122423441 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-z-intense-debate/#IDComment120788882 Soc 119 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:30:13 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-z-intense-debate/#IDComment120788882