Hi everyone, FYI: I am trading weeks with someone who is out of town this week which is why my question is getting posted late.
Chapter 8 discusses understanding American attitudes about race (pp. 335-339). Define race and ethnicity in your own terms. What do you think the idea of race stands for in American society today (i.e. equality, freedom), and why (i.e. through the civil rights movement)? Page 336 states, "Some observers argue that while American whites express abstract support for the proposition that blacks should be equal, they less often support actual policies to promote equality." Such programs include fair treatment in jobs and affirmative action. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Give examples.
Race is what people were born into or the common ancestry people share, the language people speak. Ethnicity is the culture or quality people choose to be a part of, for example, Caucasians, Africans, or Arabs.
ReplyDeleteI think that race in American society today stands for opportunity, and improvement. Even though people fought through the civil war and earned their freedom, some people are still living in the old times, maybe they don’t show but inside they are thinking blacks do not deserve the new life (that’s what I mean by improvement). According to the text on page 336, in 1963, 31% of white agreeed that blacks are inferior to whites.
Because the world is changing, people from different race show and prove their ability in accomplishing many tasks, if people are giving the opportunity they will take it and make it worth everything.
I agree with statement made on page 336, "Some observers argue that while American whites express abstract support for the proposition that blacks should be equal, they less often support actual policies to promote equality." I don’t know if it is because I am from a different race myself that I agree or not, but in many situations that I have either seen or heard applies. Many companies in America started to hire people from a different race because the world has shifted and they need to otherwise I don’t think they would have.
At the beginning, people from a different race are treated differently through wages and benefits. But according to the statement blacks in some area I do believe are still not treated equally as people say it is. But I think after the election things might shifted again in a different direction because the election proves blacks are capable of the same work as whites.
Race and ethnicity go hand in hand. My definitions of these two terms are simliar to what the text states, however a little different as well. The text states, "Race and ethnicity both are social rather than biological concepts." To me, race is a definite social stigma in which people will categorize you based on certain characteristics whether it be your looks or your voice or maybe even your actions. Ethnicity, however, I actually think of more as somewhat of a "biological" concept. In my mind, I think of ethnicity as what you are born with or into. For example, if you were born in Germany, live there and have it become part of your life, your ethnicity is German.
ReplyDeleteIn American society today, I think race has mearly become a way to "categorize" people if you will. These categorizations seem to play many roles. People might, for example, use race to categorize people and then build their stereotypes for that particular race, or people may use race as a consensus to draw conclusions on subjects. For example, on page 337 the text discusses a study conducted by Kinder and Sanders for researching racial attitudes. In this study, a survey question most likely asked had something to do with what that person's race was. They then, presumeably used those answers to conclude their research findings about racial attitudes among different races.
I don't quite agree with the above statement about whites expressing support for more propositions for equality and then not supporting the actual policies. I think that, yes, racial discrimination may still be a controversial topic in today's society, however, how do those people that argue this statement explain America voting an African American president. This was a very symbolic movement for America, as it showed that American's, for the most part, put race aside and voted for who they thought would best run our country and you can't really get more supportive than that.
Race: a classification of a group of people based on physical characteristics or even genetic markers.
ReplyDeleteEthnicity: Identifying with a specific group through race and or culture and exhibit those customs, beliefs, and values.
Today race and ethnicity are somewhat blended together as definitions. Our textbook states race and ethnicity are more of social terms rather than biological terms. To a degree, we define our own races and ethnicities and also these are assigned to us through stereotypes. Our textbook also says groups of people we deemed ethnic minorities are becoming majorities.
Today in America I think we view race as a way to separate ourselves into different groups. We tend to find people with similar interests and physical characteristics –not always but generally. I also think today we view race as more accepting than it was viewed hundreds of years ago. I think this is because we have experienced the civil war and more people move to America and are able to travel overseas to learn about different cultures.
I agree with the statement above. For example, our country prides itself on not judging people on race, however, after 9/11 many people judge people who look like they may be from the Middle East. Our textbook says as Americans we image a future where we are indifferent to races but we do not live it today. Therefore I agree with the statement above that we may think we want to be completely accepting, but we are not.
Race: The culture or physical appearance of a group of people
ReplyDeleteEthnicity:Affiliation with a certain group that share the same culture or ideas
The idea of race in society today, as the book states, is more social rather than biological. I agree with this statement. Although someone may be from Barbedos and anther person may be from Africa, many people would not notice the difference between the two because they both have brown skin. Most would put these two people in the same category of race.
I think we view race like this in today's society because we categorize ourselves into groups that look the same as we do. Although someone may be of Irish or French decent, we still think of them as white and put them in the group of whites. I think that the issue of race has improved quite a bit over the years, but we still tend to separate ourselves from others that do not look the same as us.
I agree with the statement about whites and blacks because I think most of the public thinks that race is not an issue anymore. Many think it has been totally resolved, so polices to make society more equal seem pointless. For example, I have heard discussion about the affirmative action plan, and most people say that segregation is over and race issues are over. Many do not think that it is an issue. I do think that stereotypes of blacks is an issue. As stated in the book, many whites tend to affiliate blacks with laziness and welfare, when this is not generally the case.
Race: a way to group people based upon physical appearance
ReplyDeleteEthnicity: a way people group themselves based on culture, traditions, values and beliefs
As the text states, the idea of race has changed over time, which has been shown through polls. Today, I believe that the idea of race in American society stands for a way to classify people into groups. It is a way for people to identify themselves and feel as though they have a group to which they can belong. However, I don't think that the idea of race in America promotes total equality because people tend to see their group as better than any other. I think this change is linked to the civil rights movement. Often it takes a person or group of people to help people change their way of thinking, which was the case during the civil rights movement.
I mostly agree with the above statement. People will often support an idea, but rarely are they willing to do the work to make it happen. For example, many people would agree that all children should be given the opportunity for a quality education; however, few people are willing to make sure that the teachers are treating all students fairly or are making sure all students fully understand the material. Most people stay out of monitoring the school systems and do not take action to ensure that all students are receiving the education they deserve.
Race: people grouped together based on physical appearance
ReplyDeleteEthnicity: A group of people with similar culture, beliefs, and values
I think race in American society today is a way for people to group themselves and others. It's a way for people to feel like they belong because associating themselves with a particular group (race) makes them feel like they're not alone and that they have many others like themselves around them. I also think race in American society today means freedom. Page 335-336 states that people of Hispanic origin constituted for less than 5% in the 1970 census, with that number jumping to 12.5% in the 2000 census. Also, the Asian-American population has grown from .8% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2000. I think these numbers show how many people are coming to America because of the opportunity and freedom.
I agree with the statement above. Even though America did just recently elect an African-American president, that doesn't mean that there aren't any people who are strongly against it. I think that racism in our country is obviously not as bad as it once was, but I still think that there are people who are racist. I think people in our country want to act like they look at all people equally, but a lot of people are still having a problem actually supporting policies, for example, affirmative action.
I believe people to be more judged on race because to me race is more about your appearance. When I think of race I think of what you are born into and change which is shown by the color of your skin.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about ethnicity I think about peoples culture and a little more controlable. I personally know that I have German and Norwegian roots, but do not believe to have an ethnic backround of either of the two countries. I believe my ethnicity to be very American because this is the culture I choose to live by.
In America today I see race stands for a melting pot because that is what America is. It has turned into a combination of many different races and also many people are not one solid race because of the increase in interracial marriages. I also do think that goes with equal opportunity because "supposedly" in America we have fair treatment to all which is not true in all other countries.
I do agree with the statement above because although people for the most part do want everyone to be treated fairly no matter what their race, it's hard to put rules on it. Once you start placing rules such as making sure companies have so many people of each race, or a certain number of people of different races into graduate programs, you may start discrimating against a better candidate. I do not think that someone should have a better change of getting into graduate chool or getting a job because of their specific race, I think it should just be left of applications all together. I think that its interesting that the book states that blacks and whites are both for fair treatment rather than racial preferences during the hiring process.
I really don’t know how to define race or ethnicity, but I think in America it is a way of signifying your roots of heritage. I believe the book when it mentions the support for change is more hypothetical than a plan in place. People just put on a front to appear cultured because if you don’t accept policies to help oppressed ethnicities then you would be considered living in the past. I don’t really agree with the idea of preferential treatment because we would have to start doing this for every screw up and every ethnicity will be getting the same kind of help. I think the views on race are still far behind in terms of predispositions about other races which is hard for me to believe, but the smaller the town the more I hear the racial ignorance.
ReplyDelete