en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/3076254 Comments by smileandnod http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170468046 My view of affirmative action also changed after I watched the lecture. I was completely against it because I think that only the most qualified candidates should get the job. I still think that, but I realize now that's not always the case. Nepotism is very common, and I've never really heard much about it until this lesson. It's basically the same thing as affirmative action, so why don't people find faults with it? Nepotism benefits us and we perceive ourselves to be superior to others, so we can "justify" it. Well, that is just feeding the flame of social inequality. I agree with you that affirmative action is a good start to combating this problem, but there is definitely a lot more work to be done. Thu, 7 Jul 2011 00:12:54 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170468046 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170466363 At the beginning of the lecture, Sam asked the question, “What plans would you pursue to bring about greater social equality?” After watching the lecture, I’m not sure I can answer that question, but I do have a better perspective on some important issues that need to be resolved. The most interesting part of the lecture to me was the video, “Trading Schools”. It’s so crazy how some schools can have so many resources, and other schools don’t even really have the necessities for their students. It’s even crazier that those two schools were only an hour away from each other. I think an important step for social equality would be to start with giving everyone the same educational opportunities. Public schools were created to give students equal opportunities, but that video, along with test score statistics, prove that all schools are not created equal. I know that public schools are paid for with taxes, so I’m not sure how there would really be a fair way to divide up the money. I feel like people in affluent neighborhoods wouldn’t want to give their children less resources to help those in poorer neighborhoods. It’s all confusing to me. I don’t know how to fix it, I just know it needs to be fixed. Since the beginning of this class, I’ve taken an interest in affirmative action. My husband and I have had many discussions about it and we both agreed that affirmative action was completely bad. Now that I’ve watched the lecture, my opinion has changed a bit. I was surprised to learn that only ten percent of jobs, college admissions, etc. occur because of some kind of connection to an affirmative action program. I always had the idea that affirmative action programs were keeping qualified people from getting jobs, and giving those jobs to unqualified people, just because of skin color, but now I realize I was wrong. While it’s possible that happens sometimes, I don’t think it happens as often as I originally thought. We also learned that most beneficiaries of affirmative action are straight, white women, which in turn helps white men, therefore aiding white supremacy. It turns out that affirmative action isn’t as bad as I thought it was, well at least not in the way I thought. Affirmative action does seem to have its problems, but I think that it could be helpful if it was used the right way. I’m actually still having some trouble deciding whether or not I support affirmative action. I really don’t like the government interfering in people’s lives, but I really do want people to have equal opportunities for success in life. I’m sure discrimination will always be an issue, but it would be really good to do something to begin moving toward social equality. I just don’t know exactly what that something should be. Thu, 7 Jul 2011 00:06:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/30/week-8-%e2%80%93-lesson-14-affirmative-action/#IDComment170466363 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-13-immigration/#IDComment169459057 I also feel like the topic of immigration can be difficult to discuss, and like you, I'm not quite sure where I stand. I do think it's good that illegal immigrants work the jobs that Americans don't like working, but it seems unfair for them to take jobs that Americans want because they get less pay. I feel like I should be taking a stance on either side (for immigration or against it), but I really can't make up my mind. You also mention that you don't ever think illegal immigration will stop,and I have to agree with you on that. It has just been going on for so long and I think it will continue, no matter what kind of plan the government comes up with. Mon, 4 Jul 2011 00:35:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-13-immigration/#IDComment169459057 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168076386 I completely agree with you when it comes to LGBT families and adoptions. LGBT families are just as capable as rearing children as straight families. In fact, in some cases, the child will be in better hands if he or she is adopted by LGBTs. At the very least, people should consider the fact that gays and lesbians can't just accidentally have a baby, which means that when they decide to adopt a child, and they go through all of the hassle and paperwork to do it, they really want a child to love and give a good home to. That can't be said for all straight couples. I think that every state needs to get on board with LGBT adoption! Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:58:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168076386 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168073858 This week’s lectures for lesson 12 were very informative and insightful. I was particularly interested in the part about LGBT issues. At first I was wondering how LGBT issues have anything to do with race and ethnic relations, but after hearing the lecture, I am beginning to see that the LGBT community shares some of the same struggles as the people of color we have previously discussed. I think that shedding some light on LGBTs was a very good part of this class. At the beginning of the lecture, Sam, told the class to put God out of their minds, and to listen to the lecture without thinking about their own personal religion. I feel that this was a great way to start the class. Although I have my own religious beliefs, I felt that “abandoning” God for that short amount of time helped me to see things with more of an open mind, even though I have always believed that gays should have the same rights as everyone else. They’re people too! Something that really called out to me in the lecture was the part about LGBTs and adoption. I’ve never given the subject much thought before, and I just assumed that lesbian and gay couples were allowed to adopt children. It turns out I was completely wrong. My jaw nearly dropped to the ground when Sam said that only four states allow LGBT adoptions—four! That just seems completely ridiculous to me! There are lots of kids out there that need loving families, and it seems to me that state governments are denying those children homes by not allowing LGBT adoptions. What’s the big deal, really? Some people may say that a child needs a mother and a father to have the best chance at succeeding in life. While I agree that having a mom and a dad can have certain advantages, I don’t think that LGBTs are any less qualified to raise children. In fact, I think that in many cases, a child will be better off in an LGBT family. Let me give an example. A child is put up for adoption and spends his life bouncing around foster homes and group homes, but is never adopted. This can cause the child to feel unwanted and unloved, which are hard feelings to get over. Now, a child is adopted by an LGBT family that truly wanted a child. Chances are, that child is going to bond with his new parents, he’s going to feel wanted and loved, and he’s going to turn out just as well as any other child in a loving home. If there are willing, capable, and loving people out there wanting to adopt a child, I say let them do it. Give the adults a chance to be parents, and give the kids a chance at having a family. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:51:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/26/week-7-%e2%80%93-lesson-12-multiculturalism-lgbt/#IDComment168073858 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165826144 I was also really shocked at the results of the doll test. Like you, I thought that the children would want to play with the dolls that looked more like them. It was very upsetting to me when I saw that they were choosing the white doll because the black doll was "bad." This video got me to think about the dolls I played with when I was a little girl. I always played with white dolls because I was white and I wanted my "baby" to look like me. I thought it was the same for everyone. Now I'm wondering what would've happened had I wanted to play with a black or brown doll instead. Would my parents have allowed that? Would I have had experiences with race earlier in life? This lecture has given me a lot to consider! Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:21:17 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165826144 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165822757 Something I found to be very interesting about the Lesson 10 lectures, is how different the racial identity stages are for people of color than the stages for white people. I want to specifically talk about the “pre-awakening” and “awakening” stages, because those are the ones I can most closely relate to. I am a white person, and before I took this class, I was definitely in the “pre-awakening” stage, but now I find myself to be somewhere between the “awakening” and “revisioning” stages. I’m twenty-three years old and it has taken me this long to begin considering what it means to be white, and to realize that there are racial issues that are still very prevalent in our society today. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but after hearing the part of the lecture that dealt with the first two stages for people of color, I was pretty surprised to find that the majority of the people of color did not have an experience like mine when it came to going through the stages of racial identity. I was stuck in the “pre-awakening” stage for nearly all of my life, so it was interesting for me to see that people of color get out that that stage and enter the “awakening” stage when they’re so young. In the video with the children choosing which doll they liked best, I was honestly surprised that more of the children didn’t choose the doll of color. I thought that they would naturally want to play with the doll that looked most like them. Then, when they were asked to point out the doll that was bad, and they pointed to the black doll, I was shocked, and then I just felt really sad. It really saddens me to think that there are children out there that are struggling with accepting their race, especially at such an early age. Something else that I thought was interesting, was when Sam asked everyone whether they thought Penn State was “too white,” or “not white enough.” I couldn’t answer that question about Penn State because I’m a world campus student, but it did get me to start thinking about where I grew up and the places I’ve been, and whether they were too white or not white enough. I grew up in a smallish town in Texas that consisted mostly of middle class white people. The surrounding cities had quite a few Mexicans, but I spent most of my life dealing with white people. Then, when I was 19, I moved to Brooklyn, where it seemed that everyone had a different background. I visually noticed the difference, but there was nothing inside of me saying “I’m so white.” Now that I think about it, I can easily say that the town I grew up in is “too white.” But, I can’t say that Brooklyn wasn’t white enough because I really enjoyed the diversity. I think this experience helps to understand why people from different places experience Penn State differently. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:08:31 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/22/week-6-%e2%80%93-lesson-10-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-people-of-color-stages-1-4/#IDComment165822757 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment164374063 I don't think that white people are just sat down as children and told, "don't talk about race because we're all supposed to be equal." I think it's more of just a learned behavior from never hearing people talk about it. White people are also afraid of being labeled as a "racist" if they say something about race, so even if they want to say something, they remain silent. It's easier to be "politically correct" than to say the wrong thing and become a racist. What that wrong thing is depends on who you're talking to, which is another reason white people don't talk about race. You never know how people are going to react to your comments. Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:56:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment164374063 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment164372507 The lecture for lesson nine was a great continuation of the previous lecture. It was interesting and thought-provoking, but it also left me a little confused. When I watched the previous lecture, I was certain that I had been in the “pre-awakening” stage and had moved into the “awakening” stage, but now I’m not so sure. After hearing this week’s lecture, I think it’s possible that I am now in the “revisioning” stage, or at least on my way there. In this lecture, Professor Sam talked a lot about guilt, and more specifically, white guilt. This is what made me think I may be in the “revisioning” stage. Before I heard the lecture, I wasn’t exactly sure what white guilt was. I had heard the term before, but I’d always think to myself, “Why would anyone feel guilty for being white? We don’t get to choose our skin color.” While this may be true, I have learned that skin color plays a big role in many aspects of our lives—good and bad. I thought it was helpful that Professor Sam started out by defining the word “guilt” for us before explaining “white guilt”. It’s a word that most people know, but it helped me to have a better understanding of what white guilt is. After the lecture, I did some thinking, and I realized that I have some white guilt. I mostly feel bad for being so blind to racial issues before taking this class, but I also feel bad for all of the people of color that are not treated equal to whites. Although I can’t remember any specific events, I am certain that my whiteness has given me benefits and privileges that I would not have had if I had a different skin color. The fact that our skin color plays such a big part in how people view us, and what we get out of life, is so angering to me. I also thought that the fourth stage, “reversal,” was a very interesting part of the lecture. I think that a lot of white people fall into this stage and get stuck. In fact, I’m pretty sure that most of my family members have been trapped in this stage for quite some time. I guess I never paid much attention to them before, but I can now remember hearing my parents say things like, “We shouldn’t have to put up with these people,” and “They are just as racist as the white people,” when I was growing up. They know they’re being racist, but they think they can justify it because they aren’t the only ones. Well, I don’t think they can. There are racist people of every race, but that doesn’t make it okay for white people. It doesn’t make it okay for anyone. Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:49:00 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-9-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-3-4/#IDComment164372507 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-1-2/#IDComment162873398 I think that your statement, "White people do not feel their whiteness," is right on the money when it comes to most white people. I have always known I'm white, but I have never consciously thought about my whiteness until after hearing the lecture. I think it's really interesting that you were able to identify with Sam's experience working with the 5 year old black kids, because I couldn't identify with that at all. In my 23 years, I was never sat down and told "you're white...expect these things to happen." I'm sure this is due mostly to the fact that, like me, none of my family members have ever really thought about what it means to be white. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:24:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-1-2/#IDComment162873398 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-1-2/#IDComment162870610 “What does it mean to be white?” That is a question I had never given a single thought about until I heard the lectures for lesson eight. Even now, after a few days of consideration, I’m still not sure that I can fully answer that question; however, I have begun the process of understanding what it means to be a white person. I am white, and I have been all of my life. I never gave much thought to my own skin color and how important it is on my life experience—skin color to me has always been something that just is. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure how to begin thinking about what it means to be white, but Professor Sam’s height example really gave me some perspective. I’m 5’3”, and while that isn’t super short, I definitely feel shorter than most of the people I interact with on a daily basis. My height impacts my life experience and I think about that pretty often, so why had I never thought about my whiteness until now? Also, I have spent time wondering what it’s like to be black or brown in this day in age, but I have never contemplated how being white plays an important part in shaping who I am today. I guess I can honestly say that before hearing this lecture, I was in the “pre-awakening” stage of racial identity. I thought of my ancestry mostly in terms of my culture, and I had never given much thought at all to my own race. Luckily for me, and just as Professor Sam predicted, I was thrown directly into the “awakening” stage after hearing the lecture, and I expect that the same thing happened to other students who were also in the “pre-awakening” stage. Now that I have entered the “awakening” stage of racial identity, the world looks a little bit different to me. I have begun thinking about white culture, and I have taken notice to my own whiteness, as well as the white people around me. I can also clearly see that there is an “us” and “them”. I actually think I may have known this before, but I put the idea out of my head in order to avoid being politically incorrect, and being thought of as a racist. I now see that life is different for white people and people of color, and saying so shouldn’t be considered a negative or “wrong” thing—it just is. Now that I have realized all of this, I plan to start discovering more information about race issues. I will also think more about what it means to be a white person so I can start trying to understand what it means to be a person of color. Only after I am able to understand myself, will I ever be able to begin the process of what it means to be something different. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:11:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/07/week-5-%e2%80%93-lesson-8-stages-of-racial-identity-%e2%80%93-white-people-stages-1-2/#IDComment162870610 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160804535 I was also interested in the part of the lecture when Professor Richards discussed life for blacks right after the end of slavery. I guess I just always thought they were free and then moved on with life, but that wasn't the case. I really feel pretty ashamed for never giving it much thought until now. Honestly, all this time I have thought that black people have had the same opportunities as white people since the segregation ended, but I was very wrong. Life started out bad for them, and all these years later, things still aren't the way they should be. Yes, some good steps have been taken, but it seems to me that racism in the United States should have been long gone by now. Thu, 9 Jun 2011 01:14:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160804535 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160803523 Once again, this week’s lectures proved to be both informative and interesting. There were lots of numbers and statistics to work with, but I feel like they were necessary to really show us how messed up the United States is when it comes to racial issues. The most shocking , and most disturbing, part of the lecture for me, was when Professor Sam talked about the World War II vets , and the loans they were supposed to receive. I was horrified when I found out that in the New York and New Jersey areas alone, there were about seven thousand loans that weren’t given to people that truly deserved them. It’s so irritating that after risking their lives, and serving their country in a war, those veterans couldn’t get their benefits just because of the color of their skin—it’s absolutely ridiculous!! I’m not even sure I want to know the numbers for other states. I’m really trying, but it’s so hard for me to wrap my mind over such blunt racism. The worst part is that it still continues today. I was also frustrated with everything Professor Sam told us about our criminal justice system. I honestly had no idea that it was so racist and corrupt. I had heard of the “driving while black” thing, and I’ve heard black people tell me they’re more likely to get into trouble for things, but I guess I never really took them seriously. Now, after seeing all the ratios comparing the number of black people in the United States, and the amount of black arrests, I feel pretty ashamed for just blowing people off in the past when I thought they were just complaining about being black. I see now that it is a real issue and it needs to be addressed. I’m not exactly sure how to fix the problem, but I think a good place to begin would be to start getting these numbers out there. Another thing that really set me off, was learning that racism is still prevalent in our juvenile court systems. The fact that African American youth are six times more likely, and Latinos are three times more likely, than white youth to be incarcerated when committing the exact same crime, and having the exact same criminal history, is completely unacceptable. I’ve been trying to come up with some logical explanation for this, but there are none. I think the only answer here is pure racism. I’m sickened at the fact that it is called the “Juvenile Justice System” when there is clearly very little justice. Something needs to be done to put an end to all of this discrimination so we can focus on what’s really important—getting those kids on the right track. Thu, 9 Jun 2011 01:08:24 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/06/02/week-4-lesson-6-race-and-ethnic-inequality/#IDComment160803523 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality/#IDComment159795011 I also find it appalling that there are such broad scopes in the quality of education at public schools just because of income. I think it's called public school for a reason and they should all be basically the same. I also think it would be beneficial to taxpayers if the government was able to find another way to pay for these public schools. It shouldn't matter how much their parents make- every child should have the same opportunity to get a good education. The only exception should be for those who go to private school, but that's an entirely different story. I hope that one day the public education system will become more equal. Mon, 6 Jun 2011 02:01:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality/#IDComment159795011 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality/#IDComment159541769 Professor Sam said that the second lecture in lesson 5 would be the most important lecture of the class, and after hearing it, I think he is right. Taking a sociological approach to determining why we are so unequal really seems to put things into perspective. The thing that is most astonishing to me is the close correlation between income and education. I always thought that everyone in America had an equal chance at educational success, but I was clearly wrong. After seeing the statistics regarding income and SAT scores, as well as the other statistics about income and college graduation, I was so shocked. I never knew that there was such a drastic difference. I guess I spent most of my life thinking about people’s successes and failures with the freewill perspective. I truly believed that anyone could be successful if they just worked hard enough, and that their circumstances in life were primarily shaped by their individual choices. While this is true, I now know that it is not as simple as that. The psycho-cognitive explanation makes some very good points about why people “make it” or not, but it is missing one key point—influence of outside obstacles. The determinist-communitarian position focuses on the belief that material conditions shape all aspects of our lives, and that people’s personal choices only have a small impact on their socioeconomic circumstances. Before hearing this lecture, if I would have heard about this position, I would have argued the point to no end, but now I’m feeling a little differently. I always knew that there were things beyond our control that could get in the way of us being successful, but I mainly believed that if people cared enough about being different, they would figure out a way around those obstacles. After hearing the lecture and seeing the statistics, I now know that these factors (education, wealth, etc.) really do have a significant influence on all aspects of our lives. I think it’s really important that we find middle ground between the freewill –libertarian position, and the determinist-communitarian position. Our individual choices and material conditions both equally shape our lives. The truth is that life will usually be easier for those with more money and education, and it will be more difficult for those less educated and without a lot of money. Both can still make good or bad choices that will either help or hurt them, but success will still come more easily for some people. Overall, I found the lecture to be very interesting and informative. It really opened my eyes to the issue of social inequality, and I found the explanations to be fascinating, and important to understanding why some people have it easy and some people don’t. I think this lesson is going to be a great foundation for the rest of the course, and I’m looking forward to learning more. Sun, 5 Jun 2011 13:03:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-5-social-inequality/#IDComment159541769 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158323492 I also thought that putting us in the mindset of the Arab Muslims was a great way for Professor Sam to teach the lesson. It really put things in to perspective. It's so crazy how much alike two very different cultures are. I was so surprised to see that they live ordinary lives just like we do here in America. I always thought that it was a war torn country and that was all- boy was I wrong! I'm actually pretty embarrassed at how ignorant I've been to what is really going on in that country. You also made an excellent point when you wrote, "For every Muslim wanting to kill an American, there is most certainly an American wanting to kill a Muslim." After watching the lectures, I am in complete agreement with you on that. It's sad, but there are religious radicals on both sides. It has just been too hard to see it until now. Wed, 1 Jun 2011 21:54:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158323492 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158321539 The latest lectures were thought provoking, to say the least. I think that the first lecture over Ethnocentrism was a good way to lead into the Christian Invaders lecture. It really helped me out a lot to understand what ethnocentrism really is before diving into the heavy part of the lesson. I really liked how Professor Sam had the class pretend to be Arab Muslims when he was teaching the Christian Invaders lesson. It really helped me to gain a better perspective of how they feel about Americans and other westerners. Honestly, before watching that lecture, I had never really given much thought to how the Iraqis feel about the Americans being in their country. I just always thought that the American soldiers were over there helping them get their country’s politics sorted out. I guess in one way they are, but there is so much more to it than that, and I’m so glad to now have my eyes and mind opened up to what is really going on over there. All of the videos we watched were interesting. It’s amazing to learn how they perceive our culture just from watching those short video clips. Looking at them from an Arab Muslim point of view, I can totally understand why they would be afraid of, and dislike, the Christians that are basically invading their country. Although not all of the soldiers and civilians in Iraq are there to convert the Muslims to Christianity, they really have no way of knowing that. They see the videos that we saw in the lecture, and they get their information that way, whether it’s right or wrong. It’s pretty crazy how much we rely on the media today to gain information, and most of the time we never see or hear the whole story. After seeing the videos and thinking about how the Arab Muslims see us Americans, I started thinking about the media and how it has probably caused us to prematurely judge them. In the past when I’ve seen videos about Iraq, I’ve mostly seen videos from soldiers either going there or returning from a tour, and I’ve focused on their stories and courage for defending our country. In the news, I pretty much only hear about the terrorists in Iraq, and how many American soldiers have died there. I really don’t think I’ve ever heard anything about the Iraqi civilians, or anything about their culture. Now I’m very interested in finding out their stories to gain a better understanding of what is really happening in their country. Hopefully this will help me develop more informed opinions about Arab Muslims. At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Sam asked the class to decide which side they were on after hearing the lecture. Before I heard it, I was on the side of the Americans, but after hearing the lecture, I think I’ve changed my mind. If I was a Muslim in Iraq, I don’t think I would pick up a gun and join the insurgency, but I would definitely be less judging of those who did. It’s crazy how just 1.5 hours can change my entire view- I wasn’t expecting that at all. Wed, 1 Jun 2011 21:46:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/25/week-3-lesson-4-ethnocentrism/#IDComment158321539 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156076282 Like you, I always just assumed that the Africans were brought to America as slaves because they were easily controlled. It was pretty interesting to learn that they did it because the Africans looked different, and they needed cheap labor. I definitely don’t agree with what they did, but now I have a better understanding as to why slavery ever came into existence. It also makes me upset to think about how degrading the white people were to the Africans, and how quick they were to dehumanize them just to put themselves ahead. What’s even worse is that this is still going on today. Slavery aside, humans in general are just terrible toward each other. I think people should just accept that we’re all different, embrace those differences, and get on with life. Wed, 25 May 2011 18:52:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156076282 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156072617 I thought it was very helpful to the lesson, and this class, that Dr. Richards explained the meaning of “race” at the beginning of the lecture. I always just assumed it meant a person’s color, rather than all the features a person is born with. I think it is really important to have an understanding of the term before diving into the lesson. The most interesting part of the lecture, to me, was when we learned that the Europeans created race. I had no idea that race was just created, but honestly, I had never really thought about it before. It was even more interesting to know that one man, Carolus Lineaus, was responsible for categorizing race. At first I didn’t understand why he’d just put the white people on top, but the more I thought about it, it seemed like anyone of any color would’ve put themselves on top, and designated the other races as inferior. I guess that’s just the way most humans are. I also enjoyed the part of the lecture when Dr. Richards asked the class about how many racial groups there are today. In my mind, I was thinking about 30 or 40, so I was shocked when he said that, although there are three racial groups that are mostly used, the actual number of racial groups is infinite. Physical differences are very real, but I guess it’s hard to know exactly how to group them together. We learned that most of people’s physical differences happen because they adapt to where they live. We know this now, but I can only assume that the Europeans didn’t know it back when they created race. It kind of made me wonder whether or not that knowledge would have made any difference back then? Not to sound like a pessimist, but unfortunately it probably wouldn’t have. We have the information now, and white people seem to still be considered the superior race. One more part of the lecture that I thought was very informative was the section on skin color. It’s pretty interesting to learn that most humans come from families that were a different skin color. My heritage is English, Irish, French, and German, so I’m very white. I had never really considered the fact that some of my ancestors could have been a different color, but now I’m very curious and I want to find out. I would really love to be able call out my parents the next time they say something insulting about another race. Overall, I really enjoyed the second lesson, and I thought it was a great introduction to the topic of race. It was a lot of information to take in, but it was all so interesting and I learned a lot. I’m really looking forward to what comes next in this class! Wed, 25 May 2011 18:40:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/22/week-two-lesson-2-intro-to-race/#IDComment156072617 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/14/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know/#IDComment154979082 I was shocked at the number of people that live on less than two dollars a day, but if I would've had an opportunity like you did in Russia, I probably wouldn't have been so surprised. It's so strange to know that some people have never even heard of a lot of the things that we use everyday and take for granted. I also chose the blindfold answer in response to the porn question, and I was pretty upset when I found out that there are stupid regulations concerning race and pornography. I honestly have no idea why race is an issue at all. Sun, 22 May 2011 17:55:57 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/05/14/week-1-lesson-1-whadya-know/#IDComment154979082