Thursday, February 23, 2012

Race, Class and Gender Response

First, write your response to the following prompt below-when you are done, ask a strong question that starts a discussion thread. Comment on 2 other people's ideas and questions. I want you to be thought-provoking and challenge one another. There are now Reply links under each person's comment, where you can comment directly to that response or question. Those of you who write first will have to come back and respond to others. Challenge one another! Make sure you write with proper mechanics and fluency.

What was illuminated to you in this reading? Use 2 quotes to support your response;
Did this reading give you any new ideas? If so what were they? How might YOU change your perceptions based on this reading?


74 comments:

  1. The thing that was illuminated to me in this reading was the way that the author urged people to understand the connections that every type of person had with one another, and how that shaped what life and society is like today. A quote that supports this is “…the past simply does not reveal the intricate connections that exist between the different groups composing the U.S. society (2).” Another supporting quote is, “Inclusive thinking means seeing the interconnections between these experiences and not reducing a given person’s or group’s life to a single factor (3).” These two quotes really example how the author believed the way that people should learn is by understanding the relations that one person has on others and the society. This reading really only gave me one idea and that was the idea that the author presented, the idea that people need to “shift the center” and understand the connections that people have upon one another. A way that I would change my perception on this reading is to try and not be stereotypical against people and to understand their background and them before I am biased. One question that I had was, in order to understand yourself; do you have to understand how others affect you?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really like the quotes you picked it really goes along with what you were trying to explain. As for your question, I think you do need to know yourself first in order to understand how people affect you. If you don't know who you are then how can you feel anger, sadness, or happiness when people affect you. I also believe if you don't know how to understand yourself then what people say doesn't bother you, because you don't know how to take it.

      Delete
    2. good quotes and examples. I agree with alot of what you said, especially yuor ending question saying "in order to understand yourself; do you have to understand how others affect you?"and i liked this because sometimes to understand how you see yourself in a world you have to first start by seeing people for who they are and not what they are or where they come from.

      Delete
    3. I really liked your ending question and i kind of had the same question but instead of "how others affect you" I wanted to to know how others see me. I think you can get a totally new persepctive of yourself when someone tells you what they think of you. in turn, you can take that and put it towards other groups of different races and ethnicities and say "how can i see these people in a different light?"

      Delete
    4. I agree with what Kym wrote because I think that most people are too quick to judge and that people need to focus less on stereotypes. My response to Kym’s question is that yes, you must understand how others affect you in order to understand yourself. No one lives completely alone; you are always interacting with others. You cannot know who you truly are without others opinions and what they do to you. I think that you learn who you are through your hardest moments and how you deal with them and most peoples hardest moments have to do with being in a competitive world with other people.

      Delete
  2. The way the author gave examples to explain different stereotypical people was illuminating to me. An example of this would be "Think of taking a photograph. For years, women and people of color-and especially women of color-were often totally outside the people's frame of vision,"(1). Another supporting quote would be "This is more than a matter of sharpening one's focus (although that is required for clarity)".((1-2) In this quote I feel like the author is talking about the focus on a camera lens. This reading doesn't really give me any new ideas; it just really opened past ideas. It just made me think about how stereotypical our world really is. There's not much we can to do change it though. I don't think it will change my perception on anything, because this goes on everywhere you turn. No one can really change the stereotypical way because we all just fall into our clicks. I believe it's the group we feel more comfortable then with any other. A question that kept popping up in my head was, is it really that bad to have stereotypes or do you just think its a part of life?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think no matter what stereotypes will always be around. It’s different though to have a stereotype and to judge someone. I think that categorizing someone and determining his or her whole life is wrong but to have a stereotype that doesn’t determine the view of his or her whole life is a part of life.

      Delete
    2. I think that there will always be stereotypes because you have stereotype towards groups that you don't know about. Same stereotypes are not that bad though, it just depends on the rumors you have heard about the group.

      Delete
    3. stereotypes can be discriminating and oppresive to those of that race. Being stereotypical is putting a label on someone, but in life you can't label a whole group of people based off ones actions of that race, class, or gender.

      Delete
    4. Stereotypes are a part of life, but we can do a lot to change it. Think about the fact that blacks and whites weren't even allowed to marry until 1967 and now we have a black president! That's progress. We have come a long way in our stereotypes of, and discrimination against, women, blacks, etc. but we still have a long, long way to go. It seems like each generation is getting a little bit better at breaking down stereotypes and treating each other equally.

      Delete
    5. As a society people have developed stereotypes. I think it is bad to judge on a person based on the group's actions and not on the individual. There will always be people's opinions on otheres which is just a part of life.

      Delete
    6. I beleive that stereotypes are definately a part of the life around us. Even though "we have come a long way," we still definaately have a long way to go. I agree with Taven when he says that each generation is getting a little bit better at breaking down stereotypes, but I also disagree because we seem to have a lot more pressure, and things to judge people on.

      Delete
    7. I thought about that question too when I was reading. I believe that stereotypes are just a part of life and it would be hard to eliminate them from completely from one's thoughts. Everyone has their opinions and although it may not be right, it is our nature as humans to hold those personal opinions. And in most cases they mean no hate or criticism towards a group.

      Delete
    8. I disagree with you actually! I think that if everyone was fully committed then things could change and people could make a difference. I think we do hold personal opinions but stereotyping in a was is discriminating. I think its possible to change the way people think about different races, classes, etc.

      Delete
  3. The thing that stood out to me was how the author wants people to shift the center and expand there vision of society. Not only understanding the difference, but also recognizing how groups whose experiences have been vital to the formation of the culture and the society that we currently live in is what he wants us to understand. A quote that relates to this is, "By minimizing the experiences and creations of these different groups, we communicate that they have no history or that their work and creativity and is less important and less central to the development of culture than the history of white American men," which shows how stereotypical our society has become. Another quote is "by learning the diverse histories and experiences of these groups, but in doing so, we transform our understanding of white experiences too." This shows how critical it is for people to understand the history of these groups which will transform their mindset making them not as stereotypical. This reading made me think about how we can stereotype people just because of their race, class, or gender and not their individuality which is wrong. I learned that we have to look deeper and see their background and its history before we come to conclusions. I would change my perception by not being as stereotypical of different groups and look within the person to see who he or she truly is. My question was, will society's stereotypical perspectives of people ever change aa the years go by?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe that peoples view on this could change in the future, only if our generation changes first. If we keep viewing society the way we are, those thoughts will get passed down to not only younger kids but also to our kids and then they will pass down those ideas again. If we change now the future will also change.

      Delete
    2. I agree with Lindsey because you learn most stereotypes and discrimination from media and the people you grow up with. We learned to judge ever chinese person because their country is smarter and have cheaper jobs. Our stereotypes of chinese people is that they are all smart. So if we can learn to not believe everything we hear maybe some stereotypes will change.

      Delete
    3. I feel like no matter how hard we try you can never abolsih stereotypes. There will always be people who think that they are better than someone else based on their race, gender, class, income, hair color, etc. I think that we can try and get rid of stereotypes but because kids are so easily influenced by their family, friends, and the media that there is no way we could completely get rid of stereotypes, but we can lessen the percentage of people that have them by learning about the connections everybody has with one another

      Delete
    4. I agree with Kym, you can't really abolish stereotypes. I also agree with with Lindsey there is a difference between a stereotype and being judge. Everyone just fits in with a certain group they feel comfortable in. Judging is when you comment about something they are doing or how they are acting. (Lindsey commented about judging under my comment)

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    6. I agree with Lindsey however I believe with the diverse population we have in America stereotypes will start to fade away because of the shared nationalistic view of being American. And the longer that different races coexist the more blended their once seperate cultures become. But i still do agree that a generation of people can influence future generations to come both negatively and positively.

      Delete
    7. In response to Eduardo’s question, I think that change is possible as long as it is something that is worked for and not just given. I think that it is possible for people to stop stereotyping others in the future, but it would have to take a determined group of people to change the way others think. I believe that there will always be people who believe in stereotypes, just like there are some people who are still racist today and refuse to look at the world from a new perspective.

      Delete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. In this reading, the author illuminated the idea that race, gender, and class are all intersecting together as one to make up our society. “Once we understand that race, class, and gender are simultaneous and intersecting systems of relationships and meaning, we come to see the different ways that other categories pf experience intersect in society”. Another one is, “We believe that shifting our perspective by thinking about the experiences of those who have been excluded from knowledge changes how we think about society, history, and culture”. This reading made me think a lot about gender more than anything. I’ve never actually thought that women are counted as a minority and discriminated against in today’s world. But this article opened my eyes and made me realize that that is the truth. I will look differently at things now and not discriminate against others as I am. What are other types of discrimination that we do instead of race, gender, or class?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I look around society, I see a number of groups discriminated against. Senior citizens are often assumed to be feeble and weak-minded, when most are probably fully capable of functioning on their own. Adults often assume that teenagers are lazy, smoke, do drugs, or steal. It is true that some do, but the majority do not. Obese people are discriminated against, for people assume that they have no willpower and therefore choose to eat poorly and refuse to exercise. Gays and lesbians are discriminated against, and religious discrimination continues to occur all around the world today.

      Delete
    2. Somepeople judge over obesety. People can also discriminate against disformaties people have.

      Delete
  6. While reading Race, Class, and Gender, something that illuminated me was that I never really thought about how other social groups have been through things that others might not. They had to react a certain way to get through their past. Everyone their reasons for how they act. A quote that supports that is "It is also recognizing how groups whose experiences have been vital in the formation of society and culture have been silenced in the construction of knowledge about this society." (2) Another quote that supports my idea is "When they are seen, they are typically judged through the experiences of White people, rather than understood on their own terms." (3). I liked these quotes because they gave me a sense of how everyone has there own views on people, it just depends on which view you have learned to follow. This reading has helped me understand that you will never know what the truth is because there is always more than one story, and there is more than one perspective. My question is by learning history making everyone bias against other social groups?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Responding to your question, I agree and disagree. I feel like when we learn history it is very one sided because we learn it from one perspective, the perspective of the White Americans. However, I think that it can also make you compassionate and tolerate towards other social groups. For example, when we learned about slavery in the U.S., we learned it from the perspective of the White Americans but for me learning about that made me embarassed to be a part of a race that enslaved other human beings and it made me respect all the African Americans that live here and who put up with the people that persecuted their race.

      Delete
    2. I liked your questions because it illustrates the point that we only see things in history from one point of view, we cant go back and relive it. going off of what kym said about being embarassed about being the race that enslaved people, it just goes to show that history really emphasizes the point the all white people were horrible monsters. I am deeply ashamed of that but i also remember that there thousands of abolitionists that helped end slavery, and all those people were white. it goes to show how learning history from a book can slightly skew our perspective.

      Delete
    3. To answer your question, I believe that learning about history, and the many mistakes that have been made in history, we are then able to make changes and learn from the mistakes. By looking at the past, we can map out a better future. If you never look at where you've been, it's impossible to have a clear picture of where you're going.

      Delete
    4. Good quotes and examples. To answer your question, I think learning history gives you a better sense of the different perspectives of different races showing the flaws of each group. From the perspective we learned is different from African Americans which is why we have to be open minded and not fully rely on what ine ethnicity says.

      Delete
    5. I agree; I think that everyone's past does reflect who they are... But I also think that it's possible to forget about the past and live in the present and look forward to the future. If everyone was stuck on their past mistakes and or bad experience then they would live in self-pity for the rest of their lives.

      Delete
    6. I agree Sammi. Some people are not proud of things they have done in the past. They do not deserve to be judged based on their past.

      Delete
  7. after reading this article it made me realize how that discrimination and bitterness towards other people is cause or root of stereotypes. They can be very discriminating ang oppressive to all races and genders inthis country. Also, i realized how far we have come from those days of hatred and seeing others as less than people. I know that in some places and some people still keep close minded ideas and stick to labeling a cetain person off of what they are and where they come from instead of who they are and where they are trying to go in life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, as sad as it is I dont think there will ever be a time when everyone see's one another as equal and dosn't judge. When we judge other people we are just making ourselves look worse and it really dosnt help us in any way to sterotype others so what is the point?

      Delete
    2. Colton and Connor, I agree with you guys. I think as a society the first thing we do when we don't know someone is judge them. Especially in high school a lot of kids just think they are better than everyone else. They think they can bring others down with what they are saying and somehow that will bring them up or make them better.

      Delete
  8. In this article what was illuminated to me was the way in which the author said we must shift the center of our thinking about the interrelationships of race, class, gender and ALL categories of society. As the author states, “Shifting the center asks you to think more inclusively. Without doing so you are prone to understand society, your own life within it,and the experiences of others through stereotypes and misleading information (3).” This made me think of how I can be in a situation and feel completely comfortable because I am considered part of the majority as a white male. In feeling comfortable, I neglect to think how others who do not feel like they fit in the majority, might be feeling. It’s necessary to take that extra step and think about how others are feeling, and more importantly how do my actions help or hurt the way they feel? The author also says, “Shifting the center is not just about illuminating the experiences of oppressed groups, however. It also changes how we understand the dominant culture and groups who have more power and privilege than others. (3)” I feel that education and activities like this are the key to shifting this power. If we learn about other’s perspectives and see everyone as worthy and no one being superior to anyone else, we will find balance and a true shift to the center. My question is, if everyone were to be treated equally, would this create new problems to be solved?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In my opinion, the damage is already done. By treating everyone equally, I think that we would solve any future encounters of the same types of problems we learn about in school (slavery, suffrage, discrimination, etc.) but ultimately it would create a struggle for power if everyone was treated the same.

      Delete
    2. I think that there will always be power struggles within society, even if everyone is treated equally. Equality is an amazing goal to be reached, and an important one as well, but I don't think it will be reached soon. Racism, sexism, and other biased opinions are often passsed on from parents to children, and many adults are stubborn and closed-minded in thier views. Equality for everyone is an important goal, but it can not only be reached by educating the young population.

      Delete
    3. I think that true equality is a pretty far fetched idea but if it were to be achieved there would still be issues between people whether or not their race or class or gender has anything to do with it. The human race is selfish and power and money will always create problems among us. Even if the usual stereotypes are diminished we probably still wont be able to get along.

      Delete
    4. I think in our society everyone will never be treated equally. Hard work couldn't be paid off then.

      Delete
  9. The thing I really took away from the writing was that we only only view ourselves from one perspective. History is always written by the victor and in school, media, etc. the only perspective we get is from our own. I do not and will not ever know what it feels like to ever earn 80 cents to a man's dollar, and I dont know what its like to lose a job because I'm black. On the second page the authors talk about how in our social studies classes, we only briefly touched on subjects like the Holocaust, women's suffrage, and slavery. Up until now I had thought of myself as fairly well educated on these topics, but when you think about it none of us have any idea what it was like for the people living it. we only get the story from second or third hand sources that tell us how it was through their eyes. The second passage that really gave me a lot to think about was on the third page all the way from the first paragraph through the second. It says how one perspective can skew someones outlook toward a race or gender that their opinion, no matter how good hearted it may be, can be totally offensive or dehumanizing. For instance, when you see gang crimes in the streets and a black man gets arrested, it puts an image in your mind of black men and crime. news stories are obssesed with things like because it rakes in media attention. However, rarely do you see headlines concerning a black man getting his doctorate in law or medicine. It is right that a few images can ruin the reputation of the whole group, and that goes for all stereotypes. This leads me to my question of what would people say about you? not necessarily you personally but your 'class.' Are you a white male? female? how would an african american see you? how would a native american, or a hispanic? How do men see women today, and vice versa?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think there are plenty of other races besides black men getting arrested for gang crimes, we just don't associate them in a negative way as much. If you think about the news and how many of the suspects for crime are black vs. white or latino or any other race, its pretty much an even dispersion. I think we just associate the african race with bad things such as that, because we are used to seeing them having less power in the history of society (slavery, discrimination, etc.)
      You say in your response, "However, rarely do you see headlines concerning a black man getting his doctorate in law or medicine." I agree, you never see this in the news, but then again you never see anything about any other race (including white) achieving the same things either. The media loves negativity because it draws you in. Its sad, but no one really cares about the individual's success. On the other hand, to be the devil's advocate about the same idea-- if you don't think that African Americans are getting the props for their achievements recently, think about the television and music industries. I think there are plenty of minorities becoming successful celebrities and proving "the image in your mind of black men and crime" wrong.

      Delete
    2. To answer your question, I am Hispanic, but most people think I'm Asian (for whatever reason) and I have been teased and called racial slurs by a white male for that reason, which is not okay. I think that people nowadays don't think slurs and oppression are as bad as they really are. I also don't think that very many people realize how hurtful stereotypes and other things like that really are. A lot of people "joke" about things like that and it's really not okay.

      Delete
  10. While reading Race, Class, And Gender I found the mental shift from our own society views, relationships, and experiences to be very illuminating to me because inaccurate and misleading information can easily swarm through a society leading to stereotypes. “If this is the basis for our knowledge about each other, then we have little ground for building more just and liberating relationships and social institutions (pg.17).” When shifting the center I also found the importance of connecting the experiences of all people to be illuminating. We are connecting our views and experiences rather than relating them. “It means constructing new analyses that are focused on the centrality of race, class, and gender in the experiences of us all (pg.18).” This reading definitely gave me new ideas about what misleading information is now around our society, and the signs about incorrect knowledge that can float through a society. My perceptions will now change because I will no longer look through my eyes from my world and through the purpose of us mankind.
    What misleading information is in now flowing through our society today? How do we know when the knowledge we gain is accurate?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The only way to be sure of what knowledge we gain is accurate is to explore more on the subject. A fact is not a fact unless it can be proven.

      Delete
    2. I think that there is a lot of misleading information in our society that needs to be explored and figured out as soon as possible. We need to understand how far things are going and how they are affecting people. I don't think that we will ever actually gain an accurate knowledge because there is to much to know.

      Delete
  11. In this article, the author wrote about how race, class, gender, and other defining personal aspects are all interrelated. What I found most interesting about this article was that analyzing a minority can also change one’s views on the majority. On the third page, the author mentions and discusses the emerging field of women’s studies, “It means that we take the experiences of women and men seriously and analyze how gender, race, and class shape the experiences of both men and women—in different, but interrelated ways” (3). Oftentimes, when I think of studying a different culture, I am only studying America’s views on that culture. I think studying views from both sides and the affects of each help to create a better understood image of both the minority and the majority. Earlier in the article, the author discussed his views on the education system, “For that matter, how much of what you study now is centered in the experiences of the most dominant groups in society?” (2). After reading this question, I realized that most of our education, at least in history, is written from an American perspective. We have, of course, learned about other cultures, but we, for the most part, learn about America’s interactions with other nations from an American viewpoint. Do you think that if schools introduced the histories and cultures of regions around the world and within the United States from minority and majority viewpoints at an earlier age, would kids grow up without stereotypes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you make a really good point with your question. I think the answer would be maybe, because what we are taught when we are young, often shapes and influences who we are as adults. I think it especially helps when you learn about history from another's view point. I'll never forget reading the book "Night" about the Holocaust written from the perspective of one of the Holocaust survivors. It completely changed the way I felt about ALL types of discrimination and how we treat EVERY human being.

      Delete
    2. I think that there would probably still be some stereotypes, because even if kids are taught other cultures and histories, they still have the bias opinions of their parents at home. Which would influence them quite a bit on how they veiw the world. Although, I do beleive that having some sort of way to teach more about other cultures would help us all to understand each other a little bit more.

      Delete
    3. I really like this question and I would say that the answer would unfortunately be no, although I do think that it would help a lot. There is no way to completely rid stereotypes, they will always be present as long as diversity exsists. However, there is a way to make people more understanding and therefore better in handling certain situations. Taven I agree with the book Night, I actually thought about that as well while reading this article. That book really stuck with me after I read it and coming from such a different perspective changed my views completely. I think that knowledge can create sympathy and therefore more ethical means of dealing with eachother.

      Delete
    4. I think that it would! If you have been in Mrs. Zisch's Human Behavior class she shows a video of a teacher who does an experiment with her first grade class where she segregates them based off of eye color. One day she would praise the blue eyes and punish the brown eyes then the next day she would do the complete opposite. After a week or so the kids finally understood what it felt like to be discriminated against just because of the way they looked. After 20 years they went back and interviewed the kids that the teacher had done this experiment on and all of them fully understood and believed the idea that they were all equal no matter what they looked like. So if we were to do something similar to this in elementary schools I believe that it would help eliminate the ideas of racism throughout our society.

      Delete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. As students, I find that we are constantly being educated about past issues our people have had with the topic of race, class, and gender. We learn about the holocaust, women's rights, slavery, and other issues important to our history through the eyes of our own people, instead of the eyes of the victim. "Think about the rage number of social science studies that routinely make general conclusions about the population when they have been based on research done only about and by men. Or how much of the literature you read and artistic creations that you study are the work of Asian Americans, Latinos/as, African Americans, Native Americans, gays, lesbians, or women?" These few sentences are what was illuminated to me in this reading. We often overlook the fact that much of the literature we read is done by white males, and when we do come across readings by the actual victims of society such as Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, the truth is revealed, and only then are we horrified by the actual accounts of the hardship in their lives.
    Also in this reading, "Race, Class, and Gender" the metaphor of a camera lens is used to describe peoples frame of vision that overlooks new subjects, often not sharpening one's focus to regain clarity. The author likens filters to stereotypes and misconceptions, challenging those to see common things from various points of view. "Thus, 'Shifting the center' means putting at the center of our thinking the experiences of groups that have formerly been excluded. Otherwise many groups remain invisible. When they are seen, they are typically judged through the experiences of white people, rather than understood on their own terms; this establishes a false norm through which all groups are judged." This quote pops out to me as the authors real definition of a stereotype, and gives meaning to the idea of "shifting the center" to acknowledge other diverse cultures. The author thinks, and I agree, that in order to change these stereotypes, we cannot just add in different groups and cultures to pre existing ways of thought. At this point, do you think we must re-invent the way we think, incorporating each point of view from every "camera's lens?" Is that possible with the current engrained ways of thought?

    ReplyDelete
  14. I also agree with Taven that we have come a long way since the segregation of races and I beleive that we are still progressing. In such a short time America has turned itself around on the views of race and gender and as people worry about a short term solution their really is none because it only happened a short time ago. If you look at the bigger picture racism will fade away with the blending of seperate cultures together as time goes on. Also understanding what ocurred in the horrific times of segregation will better our knowledge in order to stop history from repeating itself and therefore preventing a racist society from ocurring again. My question is can a diverse society at one point interact and react as though they are the same race?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To answer your question Blake, yes, a diverse society at one point can interact and react as though they are the same race if it is to interact and react to a common goal. Race specific issues are usually only problems for one race. But, a multi-factor issue is a problem for people who are affected. An example of a multi-factor issue would be poverty. Everyone believes poverty is a bad thing, therefore, everyone will interact and react identically. They might want to solve it differently, but they all have one common view about it.

      Delete
    2. Good question blake, I think that will never happen. Its a sad thing to say but no matter the situation people will always bring up past expierences they have been in and also color and race. I think people naturally will see everyone else diffrently wether it be because of money or where they came from etc. We can only hope people will start to open their eyes and become more open-minded.

      Delete
  15. If I had to take something out of this reading, it would be the concept of society as a whole needs to shift their frame of vision. People’s minds are closed and narrow; they only see what has been introduced to them. It isn’t necessarily a person’s fault for having misguided views. But, everyone needs to open their mind to all sorts of possibilities as stated by the authors, “…it means actually seeing things differently, perhaps even changing the lens you look through…” (An Anthology). To me, it means more than just switching lenses. The photographer, a person, needs to remove their lenses completely. I personally believe that everyone’s mind should be wide open to all information whether it is opinions or facts. For example, just because you are a strong Christian believer doesn’t mean you cannot and should not explore other religions and spiritual practices. Even though this is religion, it shows how certain factors, which could be race, gender and class, affect how people obtain and interpret knowledge. You may have the right answer but you won’t know for sure without exploring all the wrong answers, when given options, and understanding why your answer is the right one. You cannot expect to become wiser without learning which calls for exploring, “Thinking more inclusively opens up the way the world is viewed, making the experience of previously excluded groups more visible and central in the construction of knowledge” (An Anthology). I no longer where any lens. But if I did, my frame would be the size of the universe because this reading has made me wonder, how can I be sure what I know is right? I am not satisfied anymore with what I know, to become smarter I must challenge every concept and thought. Race, gender and class are factors that affect how people interpret information. So, after all that being said, my question is what other factors control how we interpret information?

    ReplyDelete
  16. After reading the article, the thing that was most illuminating to me was how the author continually talked about how the problems of racism and sexism and what not could be completely avoided if people simply shift their focus and understand different perspectives. "But shifting the center is more than just valuing the diverse histories and cultures of the different groups who constitute society. It is also recognizing how groups whose experiences have been vital in the formation of society and culture have been silenced in the construction of knowledge about this society." Basically, the author is telling us that if we seek to understand the places that others are coming from, take a walk in their shoes, we are more likely to be more accepting to them no matter what their race or gender or sexuality or anything else that defines them. "Once we understand that race, class, and gender are simultaneous and instersecting systems of relationship and meaning, we come to see the different ways that other categories of experience intersect in society." I like this quote because it really calls us out and explains that society can be different. It is possible to change and we can have a society that flows with a mix of genders, races, and classes. Diversity can be achieved quite simply. My question would be how can we as a generation alter the course our country continues down and ultimately achieve a steady, diverse nation and ultimately world?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I completely agree with you Hannah! We truly have to walk in a different persons shoes in order to fully understand what they are going through. I believe that we as a generation should try to eliminate derogatory words towards specific groups of people. Until we can eliminate these words our society won't be able to fully loose sight of racism and the idea of superiority over one another. Also I believe that our generation should try to eliminate the use of sexuality, race, and other discriminating factors as the punch lines to jokes on TV shows such as Saturday Night Live. When we are constantly seeing the media making fun of certain groups of people, others begin to think that it is okay to make these inappropriate jokes to other these certain groups of people on a daily basis. This results in people thinking that they are better than others.

      Delete
    2. I wholeheartedly agree with you, Hannah. It is crucial for us as human beings to view history from the different perspectives of the people that lived through it. To answer your question, I think that as a generation we should be a lot more open minded and take the time to sympathize with each other and understand each others problems.

      Delete
  17. In this reading the idea of "shifting" our view of society was very apparent. The author wanted to eliminate the barriers of race, class, and gender. In todays society race, class, and gender are what stimulate comedy on Saturday Night Live, or what set apart different cliques in high school. "It is also recognizing how groups whose experiences have been vital in the formation of society and culture have been silenced in the construction of knowledge about this society. The result is that what we know-about the experiences of both these silenced groups and the dominant culture-is distorted and incomplete." This passage really stuck out to me because it reopened my mind that everyone has a story. In todays society when some people try to tell their story about how they had been oppressed, others may blow them off because they believe that their story doesn't affect them so therefore they don't care. In reality that persons story may have been the reason that, that person was where they were today. If it weren't for Ruby Bridges continuing to go to school even though she was harassed on a daily basis I wouldn't of been able to become friends with a little African American girl in my first grade elementary school class. "What you know frames how you behave and how you think about yourself and others." When I was growing up I was taught that everyone was equal. I never questioned this idea because I knew in my heart that it was right. Because I went to a Catholic school one day in first grade we had to write letters to God. One little boy wrote "Dear God I know why black people are black. It is because you left them in the oven too long and they got burnt." When I read this I felt uncomfortable. It made me think about why this little boy acted like it was almost a mistake that there were different skin colors. Today I hold the same views that everyone is equal. Except the thing that makes me most upset and uncomfortable is when people use derogatory words towards different types of people. I know that I am no better than anyone else, and when people call me names that I don't like I know how it feels. I try to steer away from certain types of words that pertain to certain types of people. This reading didn't really give me many new ideas it just reinforced my beliefs that I have today. Based on this reading I am going to try to research many different types of views from different classes, races, or genders in order to receive a complete idea about what was going on during a specific conflict. For instance segregation, I would research the topic from every point of view possible and show how they all tie into each other. By living in the suburbs are we more accustomed to different races, classes, and genders or are we more protected because there not of a variety of classes and races?

    ReplyDelete
  18. The idea of the writing was to provide the idea that if we "shift the center" and look at things through other people's perspectives then we can eliminate the stereotypes and judgements. This really stuck out to me because I'm not sure if I completely agree with that idea. Sure, if we look through the lens of someone else and really look at how they live, then we might be able to understand them a little bit more, but we will always have the stereotypes. The judgement may not be as bad, because we can understand them, but they are still who we first pictured them as, as sad as that is. This reading didn't personallu change my perseptions. I am usually not one to decide how a person is based on their stereotypes and/or judgements that have already been passed about them. Given, I am a human being, so therefore there will always be a bit of judgement in my opinions, but I don't let that control my thoughts in their entirety. One question I have is: What is the true purpose of judgement? Do you beleive we could live in a world without them? What would happen?

    ReplyDelete
  19. This text spoke in a very different and powerful tone. It illuminated to me that people in society are basing judgment off of what they have learned. Although society has not learned much, experiences of our own, lead to specific judgment about race, class, and gender. “Without doing so you are prone to understand society, your own life within it, and the experiences of others through stereotypes and misleading information. If this is the basis for our knowledge about each other, then we have little ground for building more just liberating relationships and social institutions,” says Margaret L. Andersen. Another quote that really stuck with me throughout the text was, “Once we understand that race, class, and gender are simultaneous and intersecting systems of relationship and meaning, we come to see the different ways that other categories of experience intersect society.” The author really wants people to understand that there is a very fine line drawn between relationships or different races, classes, and genders, and our knowledge based on experience. This reading made me have a more open and less opinionated view on the subject. While doing the exercise in class when we matched names with job descriptions, I didn’t have a guilty thought in my head. After hearing someone else’s point of view I have completely changed my outlook on people of different races, classes, and genders.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I was very illuminated to how in our educational systems we only really learn about history from the male, dominant perspective. In the reading the authors note that "You probably touched briefly on topics like slavery, women's suffrage, perhaps even the Holocaust, but most likely these were brief excursions from an otherwise dominant narrative that ignored people of color and women, along with others", (2) the authors also write "Think about the large number of social science studies that routinely make general conclusions about the population when they have been based on research done only about and by men. Or, how much of the literature you read and artistic creations that you study are the work of Asian Americans, Latinos/as, African Americans, Native Americans, gays, lesbians, or women", (2). The sad fact that what I read in this reading was true has given me the insentive to delve more into works by minorities, and has also caused me to see the educational system in an entirely more disparigingly way.

    ReplyDelete
  21. In this reading what was illuminated to me was that, we need to shift our thinking to not judging people on their past and typical stereotypes we really need to start viewing things from their perspective. "Otherwise, many groups simply remain invisible." This is the cause of not shifting our thinking more centrally and start seeing people for who they are and not from where they came from. "By shifting our perspective, we can better understand the intersections of race, class, and gender in the experiences of all groups, including those with privilege and power." The main idea I got from this text was to open my eyes and shift my thinking to see more in people. We need to start seeing people more equally no matter whom they are and where they came from and understand their situations better. I think I will change my perceptions of people from here on out because, this article showed me to not be so close minded and open up my thinking to understanding people and their experiences better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Connor after reading this article I now realize how much we do as a society affects others and their experiences in life. Not everyone knows each other perfectly and never will that is why we need to be more open minded and accept them into our society.

      Delete
    2. I agree with Connor and Logan, I think that this article showed me a lot about how people act. It showed me that we shouldn't stereotype and judge people we don't know. We need to stay open minded and teach others that we shouldn't stereotype others. Do you think that if others tried to show people by example to not judge that society would catch on?

      Delete
  22. While reading Race, Class, and Gender there were many things that were illuminated to me. There are many things that we as a society that we do to stereotype others and there actions. We do this on an every day basis but yet we have no idea how it affects others around us. “ You can begin to develop a more inclusive perspective by asking, How does the world look different if we put the experiences of those who have been excluded at the center of our thinking?” I really like what this quote is saying because it is trying to get the message across we don't understand how other people feel we are never in their shoes. We don't know what goes on in everyones life but yet we still end up stereotyping them. We need to learn to think not only about our lives butt the lives of others and what we do as people that affects their life. “ We believe that shifting our perspective by thinking about the experiences of those who have been excluded from knowledge changes how we think about society, history, and culture.” If we were to do this as a society we would see how we affect others and why we affect them. Seeing the view of others that have been excluded shows us how our actions are not only rude but also social unacceptable. This reading has made me realize that as a society we are very stereotypical and it affects many people. They are stereotyped all the time for what reason? A silly thought that someone had and the y thought would be funny but its not at all. I think that my perception will change because I now fully understand the extent to which we affect others and all the things around them. One question I have is, Do we as a society over stereotype and why do we do this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that society over stereotpes people because in most cases that's all we know. We learn to stereotype from others in our life, such as our parents. So, yes I think that society does over stereotype.

      Delete
  23. The thing that stood out to me in this reading the most was how the author talked about stereotypes and how we need to shift our center of thinking. One quote that supports this is "...putting at the center of our thinking the experiences of groups that have formerly been excluded (3)." Another quote that spported this was "Thinking more inclusively opens up the way the world is viewed, making the experience of previously excluded groups more visible and central in the construction of knowledge (3)". These two quotes really explain how the author focused on shifting our center of thinking by explaining the different views of people. The reading did give me new ideas. I agree that people need to shift their views and thinking of our races, genders, and classes. A way that I would change my perceptions based on the reading would be by trying not to judge people and be stereotypical towards them before knowing their backround. Everyone has a backround and a past that others dont know about, and we need to understand that before we judge them. A question that I had was, do we as people let being stereotypical affect and control our lives on how we see others?

    ReplyDelete
  24. After reading this text something that was illuminated to me was how we really need to shift our thinking not to judge others. We can do this by putting ourselves in their shoes. “We believe that shifting our perspective by thinking about the experiences of those who have been excluded from knowledge changes how we think about society, history, and culture”. Another quote is "Having misleading and incorrect knowledge leads to the formation of bad social policy that then reproduces, rather than solves, social problems". This reading has given me new ideas. It has shown me to take everything into account in people’s lives. We shouldn’t judge people based on their past, race, gender, or class. I will also change my perceptions on people and not judge them based on what I see. You should get to know them. My question is why as a society are we quick to judge others and not for the good?

    ReplyDelete
  25. I was illuminated by the perspective that the author took while writing Race, Class, and Gender An Anthology. It was brilliant how the author grabbed the reader’s attention immediately by addressing problems that most people overlook and are usually too afraid to mention. “Shifting the center,” is a reoccurring line in this prompt and is very meaningful. Shifting the center means to look at the situation through someone else’s perspective. I feel as though too often people get caught up in their own lives and fail to notice the beauty around them, or even the problems that others are facing. Too often, people think that they are the only ones that matter or that their problems are greater than everyone else’s. Sometimes I find myself complaining, and it only takes me a few minutes and think of my problems on a larger scale and I usually realize that my problems are miniscule compared to others. Many people are far too judgmental in society today. “There are real consequences to having partial or distorted knowledge.” Many people are too quick to judge others, especially high school students. Throughout the halls of Arapahoe High School, there are several different cliques, but you can almost tell immediately that there are stereotypes and that not all of the kids get along. I honestly think that if we all took a few minutes to get to know other people, we would find that we all have something in common and not just with the people who are in our supposed clique. This reading opened me up to new ideas because I want to see the connections between race, class, and gender. I was to shift my mind from its usual perspective and explore more angles. A question I have after the reading is, How would the overall dynamic of the world change if people were more accepting of others?

    ReplyDelete
  26. What was illuminating to me was the author urging people to remove what stereotypes there are as well as misconceptions and start focusing more on those people rather than overlook them. This is shown on the first page of Shifting the Center, "This is more than a matter of sharpening one's focus...perhaps changing the lens you look through-thereby removing the filters." Another thing that illuminated me in this reading is the authors take on two concepts such as learning about the other groups that surround you and bad social policy. The author say's that without or the misunderstanding of the history and knowledge of the other group, that this is one cause of the misconceptions as well as the bad social policy that reproduces social problems, "First, learning about other groups helps you realize the partiality of your own perspective...Second,having misleading and incorrect knowledge leads to the formation of bad social policy." After reading Race, Gender, and Class, I got the ideas that maybe if we as a society, could learn more about the people around us that may seem different, we could end racism and possibly become more aware of these peoples struggles and help find solutions to the problems they face. Through this reading I think I've learned more than just "don't judge a book by it's cover", but more of you have to understand the pain and life of others before you can judge them in any manner.

    ReplyDelete