I have to agree with you on your idea of increasing awareness of what Affirmative Action really is. I have to be honest with myself though, I don’t think the issue with Affirmative Action or the way it’s looked down upon will end. It’s just a never ending cycle. The tie between nepotism and Affirmative Action is that no one is going to pass up opportunities given to them, even if there is someone more deserving of the position. It’s very hard to say no to a higher position in life. While it’s sad, it’s true. I think that teaching people what it actually is will help, however.

I think that I had a fairly good grasp on what Affirmative Action is, and how it is used day to day in the working world, universities, etc. It was interesting to see how Prof. Richards tied it into Nepotism and explained how nepotism and Affirmative action go hand in hand. While I do think that nepotism and A.A. have their similarities (getting to a point more easily that you would have without the help), I think they are really different. I would say that A.A. is more discriminative and controversial than nepotism. A man choosing his son for a job is more understanding to me than a boss of a company giving a black man more of a chance of being hired than a white man. That is just extremely controversial whenever race is thrown into the mix. Ask yourself though, would you pass up an opportunity to increase your salary, or up the ante of your resume only because you feel that you’re solely succeeding because of someone you know? The answer is probably no. Not many will pass up the opportunity of succeeding. That’s the problem. This issue will never sizzle out.
I am definitely guilty of claiming Affirmative Action to be “unfair, outdated, and unnecessary”. I say that without really knowing what I’m talking about, and only taking certain aspects that I am familiar with. The thing that I mostly hear about Affirmative Action is the whole college application and the rumor that “if there is a black person and a white person being compared, the black person will be accepted”, and even more so for hispanics because there are less of them. I don’t even know if that is true, but it angered me nonetheless. After listening to this lecture, I realized that only 10% of people are affected by Affirmative Action, which is such a small part of life. It really isn’t something worth getting worked up about. Not only am I guilty of bashing A.A., but I too, like 97% of people interviewed, view myself as better than others. No matter what the case, I could always justify a reason that I am better than someone. It’s not a good thing, but I think it’s definitely true that many people think this way. “before you point your finger, make sure your hands are clean”, this is a good quote to come by in this situation. Think about the circumstance, ask yourself if there is something you could do better. I think that when someone admits they are wrong, or there is something they could improve upon, they are stronger than the ones that solely blame their neighbors and peers. It was interesting to hear Sam say the statistics of people thinking they are better looking, more honest, etc. It just makes me think of people that I know and how they are the epitome of this.
I myself do not have any ideas as to how we could better the A.A. program, but I think that teaching the common public about it more would help.

I agree with you on the surprise you felt when 10 people raised their hands when Dr. Richards asked who felt guilty about being white. I really haven't thought about it either. It's 2011 and so many things have changed that no one should feel guilt about what race they are. If they have guilt, it should derive from who THEY are as a person, not the color of their skin. They were not around in the time of the slaves and what not to make decisions regarding who is a master and who is a slave. Everyone should embrace who they are, embrace their culture, and love the color of skin they are in.

I agree with everyone's comments thus far. These lessons keep getting more interesting and, even, more relatable to everyday life. I can definitely relate to all of the things that Doctor Richards has included in this lesson. All of the things that he included in this particular lesson on race I have seen happening. “The first rule of being white” is treat everyone equally. I think we can all agree honestly that every white person had at least heard this a few times in their life either being preached to them, or sadly even joked about by many. While it’s considered a “rule” many do not follow it. They don’t have to follow it.
The little girls in the videos are one of the, if not THE main reason why problems with racism continue on in our country and culture today. It is a never ending vicious cycle that begins with children at a young age being around parents who express racism. The children then pick up on these racist tendencies and continue them, and are often unable to get rid of these feelings. Because they are unable to get rid of these feelings, they then teach those racist tendencies to THEIR children and so on and so on.
When Dr. Richards was talking about how we don’t realize when we add someone’s race into a conversation when it doesn’t relate to the plot is when we are crossing the line. It’s true, really. Why do I have to say “this black girl gave a bum $.50 today on College Ave.”? Why does it matter if she is black? It’s just interesting that it happens so often in conversations daily. I do have to say though, that I don’t think it really means that the person is racist or prejudice at all if they do this.
I might sound like a bad person by saying this, but when Dr. Richards asked people who felt guilty of being white and 10 people raised their hands, I was honestly shocked. That makes me mad. No white person should EVER feel guilty about being white.
Dr. Richards is right about not being able to talk people out of being racist. It is a feat that will not happen. You will not win an argument with a racist. The thoughts, behaviors and feeling that they have towards racism and the topic is already embedded in their minds and they will not revert back to equality. If they have learned this behavior, or have convinced themselves that they are right, they will not back down to what you are telling them.

I like your thoughts on how it's funny that white people "laugh off" insults pertaining to our race. That really makes me wonder if blacks or other races who easily become offended at any racial slur, would just maybe laugh it off or brush it off like its not problem, if things would be more peaceful. I mean, everyone is different so I might be wrong in saying this, but I think that laughing something off is ten times easier than getting stressed or saddened by a comment made by someone who doesn't actually know you as a person.

I guess I am weird, or just different than the others that have already responded. Ever since I can remember, I have been thinking about the color of my skin. It's never whether or not it's a good or bad thing that I am white, just how it came to be that I am "safe" in my skin. Really, I am. If someone were to ask me "who are you?" as Sam proposed it in this lecture, I wouldn't even say that I am white. While I do think about it often, I don't consider it to be who I am. It is an unconscious, yet undeniably obvious part of who I am. I would begin to respond with words such as student, daughter, lover, athlete, but then I would get frustrated because I can't sum up who I am with only words. In the same breath, you can't sum up who you are by what color your skin is.
I think it's a very good point that Sam made about if 'you are average (for example average size, right handed, straight) you don't really think about it as much as you would if you were not the norm (left handed, short, gay). Those people have way more to identify with than the average joe.

I am going to take the Tale of The White FIsh with me after this lesson, I think it's a really interesting thought. "The fish is the last to understand water; white people are the last to understand culture." It's interesting to think about.

Even though this was not really a part of the lecture, when Sam mentions the use of swear words and their effect on comedy; it's so true. I really only use vulgar language when I am really mad, and I encourage my family and friends to not use it in their daily vocabulary. But something about when someone adds "motherfucker" to the end of their statement just makes it more comical. I guess it's just apart of human culture as a whole.

I am looking forward to lesson 9 and learning more about the stages of Race.

I think you are dabbling with the terms understanding and respecting a little too much. I did not mean 'understand' as in fully understanding the material of the situation and therefor would be able to take a test on it. Understanding why they do everything that they do is thus; every culture is different, so there are going to be different things going on. You said that you respect the fact that they eat dog meat in China, but express a disliking towards it. That is not respecting it. You are not cordial to it. I mean, we could probably go on with this. Just know the difference between understand and respect in my comment.

I agree with what you have said here. I just would like to add, though, that I don't think that we all need to exactly respect all cultures. No one needs to respect anything that goes against what they believe, but the UNDERSTANDING is what is key. Understand that its OK to not respect what others do, but in the same breath do not act maliciously towards something that does not affect you. For example, if an animal rights activist is absolutely horrified by the bullfighting in Spain, they are NOT going to respect it in any way shape or form, but they need to understand and realize that it's not directly affecting them, thus making it unnecessary to act on it in a negative way.

It's weird. Most of the things that were mentioned in this lesson- I would rather just not think about. That's the point of this class, though; to get you to think.
I don't want to have to say "I would never kill an animal, but I would most definitely eat steak any night of the week." It's just something I don't ever think about.

Ethnocentrism was a good term to learn for me- because I know what it is, and I experience it often, I just never knew what is was called. I am very guilty (if you would even consider being guilty or just learned) of possessing superior thoughts about my own culture. When I think of religions that get on their hands and knees in order to pray for their god, I definitely display my ethnocentrism by thinking I am superior for not believing in that. I just don't know the whole story behind why they do it, but part of it is I don't care.

I think that the bullfighting was a great example. It's such a HUGE part of the Spanish culture there, and it's really hard for people to understand or grasp the concept of tradition.

PART TWO:

This just made me sad overall. I hate how America is portrayed. It just seems to me that it's all the stupid FOX news propaganda and radical christian youth groups like the one in the video are the ones that get put out and determined as the ways of the Americans. It makes us all look insane. What the hell are those people doing to those kids? It's honestly like watching a brainwashing session. Those kids don't actually cry in faith, they were taught to do that at a young age when their minds are sponges and believe things very very easily.

When Sam asked who would join the "iraq army"?? I still was not swayed by all of it. I guess I could not experience the cultural relativism in the activity enough to see from another's view.

I agree with you on how it's so interesting that people from completely different parts of the world can look alike, or how people from the same region could look so different. I too, cannot see a different in asians as a whole, but that is because I never grew up around them. I think it's cool how people in Spain can look very spanish, but then half of the population in Spain is blonde haired and blue eyed just because of the Celtic influence there.