en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/5358480 Comments by tjsutts http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/12/07/voices-from-the-classroom-224/#IDComment514603174 When I first walked into Soc 119, I didn’t really know what to expect. I have never delved into the sensitive topic of race and race relations before this class. I grew up in a conservative family in a conservative town. If I were to guess, my town in 90% white, and then the other 10% is a mix of other races. However, my town ins situated very close to Chicago’s west side, which has one of the highest murder rates in the country, and poverty and unemployment through the roof. I also know a few black families back home who are extraordinarily well off. I have seen the full spectrum of poverty and wealthy, not just in the black community, but also in the white communities as well. I generally base my attitudes towards people on past experiences I have had with them, or people similar to them. And through this, I have had a few unfortunate run ins and heard some disturbing stories about people from the black community on the west side. Unfortunately, I was not very open to changing my perceptions of people, and more or less closed myself out from that given community. This class has taught me, probably most importantly, not to generalize about people and give people a chance to change your impression of them. I was very susceptible to negative impressions of people just based on what I previously heard about them or generalizations about the group of people as a whole. I now understand that people aren’t generalized into groups, and that people of different race groups are more similar to each other, often times, than people of the same race. I also learned about the different scenarios people face around the country and around the world, and how fabricated the idea of race is in every different part of the world. For instance, that the people in Eastern Europe refer to a group of white skinned people as black, simply because of the negative connotation of the word. People are also forced to live in situations, around the world and here in the United States, where they are not presented with equal opportunities to succeed and are not given a fair chance for success. We touched on some rarely spoken about topics in class and did some activities in class that I would not have ever thought about participating in class. From this, I learned that there is nothing that people cannot talk about and those things that are most rarely talked about are some of the most important subjects facing our society. To learn about people and to delve into race talks around the world, the race table must be a place where people aren’t afraid to speak freely and openly, without fear of repercussions for saying certain things. Sun, 9 Dec 2012 17:23:10 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/12/07/voices-from-the-classroom-224/#IDComment514603174 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/12/01/voices-from-the-classroom-216/#IDComment508320548 After Laurie and Sam did the “Needy Penis” lecture in class on Thursday, I thought my perception about how a woman centered world would be equal to a male centered world. But, in our discussion group on Friday my perception was again changed and reaffirmed to me by one of our assistants. We were talking about relationships and marriages between men and women and the roles each gender is “expected” to fill in the family and the topic of income equality arose. I was in the middle of a sentence justifying why men don’t need to make more money in a relationship than the man, when one of the assistants stopped me. She turned to me and asked, “Would it matter to you if your wife made more money than you?” I stopped my train of thought and switched to pondering her question for a quick second. I first said no, but stuttered. The other male assistant asked me why I stuttered, and I responded by saying, “I actually would mind.” This idea, as supported by almost every other male student in my recitation, we thought, came from how we were raised. Not necessarily from our own opinion of the male centered world, but the way were raised was clearly influenced by the male centered world. I personally feel as though it is my obligation and duty as the father figure and male in the house to provide for his wife and children. It is my duty as the man in the relationship to protect my family both financially and personally. Not only the male students supported this belief. A few of the female students in the room agreed and supported my belief that it is my duty to provide for my family by stating that she wants nothing more out of life than to be a hard working house wife. By splitting the obligations between the husband and wife, and allowing the woman to provide for her children and maintain the house the husband can more efficiently work and provide for his family, offering them the most comfortable lifestyle he can offer. As long as the family is provided, and everyone is happy, however, the source of the family income does not matter. However, there is one other topic I mentioned in conjunction to the spousal incomes. Of all the women I know who provide for this husbands, who function as stay-at-home fathers, they make absurd amounts of money. This sparked the thought that maybe as long as the husband is completely and securely provided for by his wife, THEN maybe spousal income doesn’t matter. But if funds are being pooled by both partners in the relationship, it may be more important to the man that he makes more money. Mon, 3 Dec 2012 03:29:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/12/01/voices-from-the-classroom-216/#IDComment508320548 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-209/#IDComment494348080 In class last week when we were watching the video of Sam lecturing about the Arab Muslim’s and our perception of what we are doing overseas, I had a lot of difficulties putting myself into their shoes. Predominantly I had a hard time doing this because the lecture was a video which made me feel a little detached from what Sam was trying to say. I truly wish Sam was in the lecture hall to deliver his speech because I feel as though he would have portrayed the message even more in depth and meaningful directly to our class as opposed to us almost half-heartedly paying attention to the video. The second reason why I had a hard time putting myself in the shoes of an Arab Muslim was obviously due to my preconceived stereotypes and beliefs about the War in Iraq and Afghanistan and the people who we are fighting overseas. When Sam was lecturing in the video and told us to put ourselves into their shoes, I was still thinking about what I believed. And not because I wasn’t trying to do the exercise and expand my thoughts, but because I didn’t know any better and don’t have the information necessary to understand the other side of the war. What they as Arab Muslim’s think of our presence over there and what they believe our sole mission is as American’s fighting a war on their land. I was sitting there thinking to myself what they would be thinking but still had my preconceived knowledge and couldn’t quite open my mind up as I needed to in order to fully understand the exercise. But looking back at the lecture now, and comprehending the final question as to whether or not I would go fight the American’s if I was an Arab Muslim, I raised my hand and said yes. I believe that, as I feel now about the Arab Muslim’s and the war in the Middle East, many people in the conflict lands believe and feel the same way about me as I do about them. The final point I would like to make is in regards to Sam’s comment about American’s as Christians. This statement makes perfect sense to me because of my ignorance and stereotypical beliefs prior to taking this class. I believed that many Arab’s and Iraqi’s were all the same: Muslim extremists who want death and destruction to the western world. And the flip side of this, which I now see and comprehend, is that after all the destruction we have caused in the Middle East and the pain we have inflicted on the region would lead me to feel exactly about American’s as Christian’s as I felt about Arab’s as Muslim’s. Perception is reality, and mine has been changed. Sun, 18 Nov 2012 21:29:20 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/11/15/voices-from-the-classroom-209/#IDComment494348080 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/11/11/voices-from-the-classroom-206/#IDComment487404490 This blog is in reference to both the video Sam posted from November 1st, asking whether being in contact with a group of people has influenced the way I perceived a situation about that group and the video we saw in class on Thursday about Jorge, who served the homeless immigrant workers. That video changed the way I felt about the immigrant workers who have come to the United States in search of work. It is evident that those men on the street are out looking for work, but are unable to find any type of job. They are probably out looking for any type of employment, regardless of pay or hours. One man said he hadn’t eaten in three days. They have nothing. They live on the street and only eat by the hand of Jorge once a day. I believe that Jorge is doing what is, not necessarily because he is Christian and that he feels that Jesus will hold him in a special regard, but because he knows what it is like to be in that exact position. He too was an immigrant, living on the street at one point. Rather than allowing people to suffer as he did, Jorge feels that he has an obligation to help his fellow immigrants so they may have an easier time than he did. Obviously aware of his financial state, but unconcerned by it, Jorge puts everything he has into his effort. Being Christian, his morals and beliefs are likely shaped by learning from the bible and the stories of Jesus, but his actions are not necessarily the result of his being Christian. There are Christians in the world who don’t care about anything except for themselves, but are still Christian. Everyone has morals and desires, but it is more of the concept of acting on those morals and not just thinking of them. By enforcing his beliefs, time, and effort into feeding the hungry men on the street looking for work, he is acting on his Christian morals. Not only him, but his mother and his wife also put their hearts and effort into Jorge’s cause. They too know what he went through, and by his mothers reaction during the interview, it is obvious that they know how much Jorge and other men suffered and sacrificed to get to where they are. I won’t lie, I am against illegal immigration and believe that jobs should go to the American’s across the country who are unemployed, but seeing the men on the street suffering as they are lead me to believe that they should have an opportunity to work and better their lives in the United States. They made it across the border in an effort to advance themselves, so we should do our best to help those who make it, while also deterring those who have yet to make it across the border. Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:01:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/11/11/voices-from-the-classroom-206/#IDComment487404490 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-199/#IDComment480758181 As the United States of America, we feel as though we have an obligation to help the rest of the world during times of trial and tribulation. As the world super power, we have resources at our disposal to help people all over the world with just about any imaginable natural disaster. Certain times we help more, and some times we don’t, but we have what we need to help. When we do end up donating to ailing countries around the world, most of the money and resources we distribute end up back in the United States in one form or another. But this makes sense. There are still people here working in the assembly lines and the companies that produce the resources we send so there is still an inherent need to maintain American jobs and income for the hard working men and women of this country. If these people were to work for free, and the companies didn’t have financial obligations to themselves and their partners, then sure, give out all the resources for free. But especially in times of recession, our wellbeing comes first. As bad as it sounds, when people in Haiti are living on less then one dollar a day, American’s here are living in poverty as well. Obviously it isn’t as oppressive and depressed as the conditions of living on the streets in Haiti, but Americans are struggling too. The manner in which we help others countries, to me, has mutual benefit. It is clear that the countries are not getting the potential resources they could be receiving, but with the donations from the United States, they are getting more than they would have. And they make use of whatever they get. The laborers and company owners are still turning a profit and making a living while giving to others what they would otherwise be deprived of. Of a project that could possibly be donating hundreds of millions of dollar, a large portion is being turned back into the struggling American Economy but there is still millions of dollars going to charities and relief funds all over the world. We as American’s have multiple relief efforts in place around the world, along with the commencement of the conflict in the Middle East, so there isn’t an unlimited disposal of money and resources we can give out. Each effort is being funded by our tax money and our government, and we help where we can. Without question there is more we could do to aid other ailing countries, but what we do is better than doing nothing. Out .5% GDP that is contributed to aid efforts is more than the 17% some countries give based on the mass size of our economy. The loaded statistic makes it more apparent how little we do, but it is more of how much we have that makes the disparity. Mon, 5 Nov 2012 03:24:46 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/11/01/voices-from-the-classroom-199/#IDComment480758181 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/24/voices-from-the-classroom-193/#IDComment475238241 Belief systems are based mostly on what you know. Even for abstract thoughts such as religion, beliefs are based on fact, or what are believed to be facts. The Bible is a set of facts and stories, as are the Quran and the Torah. People believe what they do because of what they know. If information is presented and it is incorrect, people will start to center their beliefs on the misinformation and have biased and unfair thoughts. I am guilty of this everyday. I am a fairly conservative individual, so I tend to get my news from more conservative sources. And when I find myself reading more liberally centered articles, I find myself disagreeing and sometimes entirely disregarding articles I read because the information doesn’t fit my fancy. Simply based on this, I have an often times very biased opinion on certain issues and almost never conform to what some one tells me if I don’t agree with them. This is why this SOC 119 has been so good for me. It has opened up the other side of the spectrum. It is not as though I’m being forced to listen to Sam speak in class, but there are certain issues that are hard for me to sit through because of how much I disagree with what he is saying. But I sit there. I listen. And I try to truly absorb what Sam is lecturing about. I have never been in a class where the professor is more of a facilitator that a professor, but that is the unique thing. Students like me get to speak their mind in front of nearly a thousand people and be heard. And by being presented with the statistics and numbers that Sam shows us allow us to not be misled. By presented us with this information, we are empowered to pass the truth along and do my best to inform others of how misinformed they are. Through this process, we can slowly start to end the ignorance people have on certain issues, predominantly race, and teach people what is right. Understanding that they are misled will enable people to start to change their opinions based on concrete data, data they cannot disregard because it is, in fact the truth. I know that I, for certain, will do a better job in making an effort to get the facts and the truth, and not be misled by biased reports or improper beliefs based on lies. Beliefs are what makes a person who they are, and come to be the core of their personality and lifestyle. Obviously people have their own opinions on certain things, but topics with fact sets cant be ignored. The truth is the truth no matter how difficult it may be to receive. Mon, 29 Oct 2012 02:23:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/24/voices-from-the-classroom-193/#IDComment475238241 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/16/voices-from-the-classroom-188/#IDComment469567534 To me, the class where the young man from the Reservation came and spoke was less about whose land this is, and more about the atrocity that has become the American norm. I have honestly never thought about the Native American exodus from their original lands because I’ve never been truly taught anything important about the Native American Culture and how we as the white settlers came in and took over what was not ours. But that is the story of American success. Taking things that aren’t ours, making them ours, then taking them for granted. American land was, without question, Red land. But now, it has become the land of opportunity and the red, white, and blue. But for whom? Clearly not for the Native American men, women, and children who still exist within their tribal structure, and obviously not for the extreme number of Native Americans living well below the poverty line. My question is, “why don’t we know about this”? Why have I never heard of the devastation and oppression the Native American’s deal with everyday? Instead of a news report on some meaningless story, why don’t American news stations or anyone for that matter make apparent the wrongs we have done as a society to the Native American population? I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if Native American tribes had been extinct based on how little I knew about them, and that is probably most people’s answer too. When Sam said he was going to play a DMB song in class that reflected the American view of Native American’s, I instantly knew that “Don’t Drink The Water” was going to be played. I have heard the songs dozens of times but never truly listened to what the words of the song meant, and in context, it is truly amazing. The abomination that Dave Matthew’s sings about and makes so subtly apparent is disgusting. We as American’s have basically annihilated an entire culture based on selfish impulse. The settler’s saw something they wanted and with no regard, took it and have kept it, while denying the original people’s their rights to the lands they grew up on and maintained for thousands of years prior. The most powerful part of the class was undoubtedly the end when the young man did the Native American prayer. For me, it truly resonated with how spiritual and deep his culture is and how much they devote to their beliefs. And as times change and technology changes, they have remained true to their original teachings and beliefs. I had goose bumps the minute he started and it made me reflect on my own beliefs and values. As devoted as the young man is, and the story he told of his drive to campus made me reevaluate some aspects and ideas of my life. Actually the best class of the semester. Mon, 22 Oct 2012 02:42:53 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/16/voices-from-the-classroom-188/#IDComment469567534 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/10/voices-from-the-classroom-182/#IDComment463990250 Coming to Penn State from Chicago, I knew only one other person at this school and he was my age. We were not friends in high school but we never really hung out, and that didn’t change when we both ended up here. Penn State was my second choice of schools, but regardless I knew I wanted to rush a fraternity and join a brother hood on campus. Not knowing anyone out here, rush was very difficult for me. I was determined to meet as many people as I could. That was my conscious choice to go out to as many houses as I could and attend as many rush events as possible. As hard as I tried and as many people as I met, I couldn’t find the right fit. I was continually uncomfortable around the guys I was meeting and nothing seemed like it was going to end up the way I envisioned it to be. I was also enrolled in the business school during the initial rush process and throughout the first few weeks of school and they were hosting certain events. I hadn’t attended a single event until the Smeal field barbeque day. I also didn’t attend the event, but felt that I would go grab some free food that isn’t from the dining commons. They had food for us and there were other kids there who I knew, but the invisible strings took over from there. I was talking to some other students when one of the Smeal mentors approached me. He said he singled me out because of what I was wearing, but you need to look good, to feel good, to perform good. We got to talking and eventually the topic of joining a fraternity came up. I asked him if he was a brother in any house on campus and he told me he was. He and I hit it off and he invited me out to their rush events for the night. I went out and apparently made an impact on the brotherhood. I later received a bid and ended up pledging the same fraternity as my mentor. The way I see it, if something hadn’t motivated me to go to the Smeal Barbeque, I wouldn’t be writing this blog entry from the couch I am currently sitting on. The strings took over and pulled me to where I needed to be. I got lucky. I had the right intentions and the right motivations, but some things happened for a reason. My strings guided me to exactly where I needed to be. Both attending Penn State and doing all the things I did to get where I am, certain things fell into place for me and were out of my control. Mon, 15 Oct 2012 03:14:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/10/voices-from-the-classroom-182/#IDComment463990250 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/07/voices-from-the-classroom-178/#IDComment457895669 I am personally very well off and have never wanted anything that I realistically couldn’t obtain. But I have never been one to admit to having money or being “rich”. Especially in a class full of college students as diverse as 100 Thomas at Penn State University, I would never admit publicly to having a lot of money. The arrogance associated with such a comment is looked down upon and it gives off the impression of some one being a rich prick. In my town, there are undoubtedly people who flaunt their belongings and want everyone around them to know how much they have. There is nothing wrong with being proud, but having the arrogance and nerve to attempt to overshadow every one else around you simply by having more is disgusting. People know how much other people have, generally without having to ask. Certain clues give off the wealthy vibe, and there is no need for people deliberately display their possessions. It would also have been very uncomfortable for me to raise my hand and have been called upon to answer questions that Sam could have asked. I know I’m not the only person who feels this way either. My friends that I sit next to in class are all very well off, one even more well of that me. We refer to him as “fat cat” because his dad makes so much money, but he didn’t raise his hand either. Why? Because for me, it singles out the entire class of people. And some, as stated earlier, are more flamboyant and arrogant than others, and often times give off the impression that all rich people act and live the same way. There are stereotypes associated with rich people, just as there are stereotypes about every race of people. By answering questions certain way, those in the class who aren’t as monetarily fortunate as I am could snap and rebut my answers, similar to the manner in which the one girl who referred to “colored people”. An inappropriate, but true answer may spark an excited response to some one who isn’t accustomed to, or even jealous of the “rich” lifestyle. I will admit to some times being jealous of what other people have, but I know that if I seriously wanted whatever it was, I could have it. Others don’t have this luxury. Personally, I feel that my social status is private. Why should I have to try to explain to others what I have and why I feel that some races and ethnicities are so far behind the social wealth gap? Not that I would have a problem doing this, but I’d rather let some one else who is better off than I am do it. Mon, 8 Oct 2012 02:26:14 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/10/07/voices-from-the-classroom-178/#IDComment457895669 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-173/#IDComment452500064 The guessing game solidified for me the significance of guessing people’s race based solely on their personal appearance. People from different regions of the world are likely to look alike based on a few different issues. First, races have migrated all over the world since the beginning of time. The chance that certain races have continued to pass on certain genetic material is likely. Second, regions of the world have similar climates and weather patters. Mutations of genes due to environmental features would have been added to the different gene pools, and the different groups would maintain their similar appearance. Also, I feel that people generalize other peoples religions based on their appearance. For me, I rarely ever think that a white or Latino person would be Muslim, but the girl who was in the line was a white Muslim. Or if an Indian person were introduced to me, I wouldn’t guess to think they are Christian, Catholic or Protestant. So demonstrated here is that by simply generalizing a person by their appearance, we ultimately generalize everything we THINK we know about them rather that is ACTUALLY true. Also possible in this situation is the opportunity to deeply insult a person of a certain race. If you were to go to North Korea and meet a person of South Korean descent, and called the North Korean, there would be means to apologize. Other countries, in Africa for example, have been continually entrapped in Civil war for many years. If you were to go to Rwanda during their most recent Civil War dispute, and called a person of the Tusti group and Hutu, here would be means for punishment. There is so much more that goes into a person than simply their personal, exterior appearance. The girl from Kazakhstan who went down to the front of the class room looked more Oriental than most of the Chinese or Japanese students who were down there with her. But simply because of the general lack of knowledge about Kazakhstani culture or the entire country of Kazakhstan, people automatically omit the chance of their acquaintance being from said country. The prevalence of Chinese or Japanese students and their relatively similar appearance, people generally assume that all people who look the same are one or the other. Through this experiment, I am becoming to realize how easy it is to generalize a persons race because of their appearance and the need to caution certain statements and generalizations. To insult someone without intentionally doing it seems to be avoidable by not being ignorant of every culture group and the possibility that some one is now who they appear to be. And to stop making such assumptions would help me and other people end the stereotypes and insults directed towards certain groups of people. Mon, 1 Oct 2012 01:58:27 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/27/voices-from-the-classroom-173/#IDComment452500064 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/20/voices-from-the-classroom-169/#IDComment447233975 When the quote from President Bush’s Spiritual Advisor initially showed up in the auditorium, I could honestly say I was not surprised that Muhammad al-Zwauri would have said something like that. It would not have been the first time a Muslim extremist came out in a violent verbal rant about the United States. When the quote changed back to its original form, I can again say that I was not surprised that Mr. Franklin would come out and say something like he did. Given the context and timing of the situation, less than three days after the attacks on the World Trade Centers and Pentagon, many Americans were angry and thinking irrationally. Not to say that an American attack on the Middle East would have been right or wrong, but retaliation would not have surprised me either. We live in an imperfect world, and there is a time and place to censor everything you say, but Mr. Franklin was addressing an American society stricken with fear and anger, and his rant about using extreme force against the Muslim extremist may have sedated some of the American’s anger and comforted the public. Knowing that the government was not going to tolerate attacks on American soil would have comforted me if I had been more understanding of the situation. In response to the religious comments we talked about in class and that 30% of Christians voted that attacks on innocent people are unjustified, meaning that 70% of Christians would condone attacks on innocent people was quite surprising. And the fact that more than 75% of Muslims say they would not condone the attacks was not surprising to me. What I feel though, is that people would generally say that Muslims would support more attacks on innocent people. I feel this way because the Muslim Extremist groups, such as al-Quida kill and murder in the name of Muhammad. Believing that their God wants them to terrorize the world in his name is absolutely absurd to me. Being able to JUSTIFy, not CONDONE attacks on innocent people with religion and the motives of God does not make any sense. That is where, in my opinion, I feel that the Western ideas that Muslims are all ruthless murders and terrorists come from. On top of the terrorist tactics and attacks they have incured on the United States, their devotion and unwavering commitment to their religious violence leads people to believe their entire culture is violent. We only see the negative images and videos associated with the Muslim religion, whereas millions and millions of Muslims are doing good for our world and doing their best to remain faithful to their religion without acting in violence. Religion is a trying commitment, and devotion to religion should not result in global acts of terror. Mon, 24 Sep 2012 02:49:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/20/voices-from-the-classroom-169/#IDComment447233975 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/12/voices-from-the-classroom-162/#IDComment442124048 During class on Tuesday I had written in my notebook for the first time all semester. I was sitting in class listening to Sam talk about immersing ourselves in foreign cultures and learning to be comfortable with different situations and different people. The question I posed to myself follows as stated, “What if I try to immerse myself in a foreign culture for the first time and something goes wrong? Would I be brave enough to attempt to go back? Would having a negative experience simply scare me away and fortify my previous assumptions about the culture group and their possible stereotypes and biases?” For the rest of class I didn’t pay much attention but I was running scenarios through my head. Being from Chicago, I am constantly surrounded my different culture groups and people. I have had very few negative experiences with other races, but I have indeed had negative experiences. My high school was very diverse, but the town I lived in was very white. When I was a freshman, I hadn’t spent a lot of time with kids of different races and it took me a few weeks to begin to feel comfortable. Just as I had begun to settle down, I saw fight in the hallway between two black guys and it truly scared me. I didn’t know how to respond except to avoid confrontations with anyone who I didn’t actually know. I did, however, get over my initial fear and began again to feel comfortable around people of different races, but what if I hadn’t? What if I never got over my fear and completely isolated myself from people of color? I could have done it. It wouldn’t have been difficult for me. But I didn’t. But I could have. I feel that the ‘could have’ turns into ‘did’ for some people, and its truly unfortunate that people still isolate themselves and never give others a second chance to change a first impression. Similar to the news about the Arab Spring and Muslim extremists, people only have their first impressions of fear and loathing towards an entire culture group. It isn’t the entirety of the black kids in my high school who scared me at first; it was the two kids who were fighting each other in the hall. It wasn’t the entire Muslim people who have repeatedly attacked American soil and American soldiers around the world; it is a secular group of extremists. Not to say that being cautious is bad, but to never give someone a chance to change a first impression is irresponsible and prejudice. The pre-existing judgments people have often times lead to the lasting impression a person may have towards a person or even an entire race of people. Mon, 17 Sep 2012 02:51:43 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/12/voices-from-the-classroom-162/#IDComment442124048 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/07/voices-from-the-classroom-161/#IDComment437517685 Last Thursday in class was a perfect example of how sensitive race and ethical issues still remain, even in today’s uncensored times. Being surrounded by nearly 700 students of different races and cultural backgrounds is a relatively unchartered territory for me. I was sitting on the opposite side of the lecture hall from the girl who mistakenly used the term “colored people” instead of “people of color”, and I was astonished by how she was singled out and verbally ridiculed in front of the entire class. She didn’t mean, I feel, to use the term in a degrading manner, but the girl who rebutted seemed to be personally insulted. She didn’t specifically call the one girl a “colored girl” of even a “person of color”. She was simply answering the question that was presented to her. And because of this, I think that many people in class, like myself, who wanted to answer the question decided not to speak out to refrain from being called out or becoming the center of the argument in the room. What I would have said, and what I said to the small group of friends I was sitting with in class, is that the term “colored people” is a dated term. I can’t remember the last time I heard some one use the term “colored person” in reference to anyone. There are, I feel, more degrading and offensive terms out there to refer to any minority group. I am white so I don’t have any idea the implications of being referred to as a “colored person” or a “person of color”, but I don’t think I would be as offended as the one girl in class who spoke and seemed so upset. Like the one white boy said in class, there aren’t very many terms that would insult my race or ethnicity, and being in such a large room and talking openly and confidently in class I wouldn’t feel personally attacked by anything some one said, regardless of their race of cultural background. But if “people of color” is politically correct, why aren’t I a “person of non-color”? I’ve met people from different cultural backgrounds, including people of mixed race, and their skin is occasionally lighter than mine. Would they still be considered a “person of color”? Or because no one can tell if they have mixed blood or mixed ancestry do they not qualify? The fine line between what is appropriate and not appropriate is different, obviously from the events that occurred during class, is different for each individual. There is no way to tell what will insult one person, so the only option I would choose, personally, would be to avoid the topic, and if it comes up in conversation, be as coy and reserved as possible. Sun, 9 Sep 2012 21:49:12 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2012/09/07/voices-from-the-classroom-161/#IDComment437517685