February 2010 Archives

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/top-stories/city-condemns-attack-on-gays-1.2171520

"It began as a night of preseason revelry for a softball team looking to start the season off on the right foot, but UT senior Emmanuel Winston and Matt Morgan, members of the openly GLBT-friendly team, were alledgedly beaten by four unknown men because of their sexual orientation on Saturday morning outside of City Hall."

http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/article/students-call-gutmanns-recognition-black-history-month

"There are various events on campus going on for Black History Month, but the University does not officially recognize the celebration -- a fact that didn't sit well with School of Social Policy and Practice student Matt Graber."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-perez-phd/a-new-civil-rights-moveme_b_475479.html

"This week is the beginning of a monthly campaign advocating for the Dream Act organized by undocumented students across the country through the United We Dream Coalition, a national umbrella organization of undocumented student activist groups."

What's the value of attending historically black colleges? Is it reverse discrimination?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/largest-historically-blac_n_478609.html

"Of the nation's colleges and universities, three percent are historically black colleges and universities -- aka HBCUs."

A noose found on campus. A widely publicized "Compton Cookout" themed party (sponsored by white students), protests, and walk-outs. All at UCSD.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/26/uc-san-diego-racial-tensi_n_478612.html

Here's a letter I received from the Chancellor of UC Riverside (I'm an alum, so I get updates):

TO:    Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni
          University of California, Riverside

I add my voice of outrage over the recent series of racist events that have occurred on or near the San Diego campus of the University of California.

We are all diminished by such despicable and unacceptable behaviors by a few individuals... such racist bigotry and ignoorance have no place in a civilized society, particularly a campus of the University of California because of our high expectations, expressed in the campus’ Principles of Community (http://chancellor.ucr.edu/documents/community.pdf) and statement on respect (http://chancellor.ucr.edu/documents/Respect.pdf).

For our faculty, staff, students and alumni who are African American, these events can be particularly and personally traumatizing. To all, I offer my continuing support, and my unyielding commitment to be proactive in identifying, confronting, and eradicating racism.

Below are links to two additional statements, one from UC President Mark Yudof and Russell Gould, Chair of the UC Board of Regents, and a second from President Yudof, all 10 chancellors, and the chair and vice chair of the UC Academic Senate.

Timothy P. White
Chancellor 

http://chancellor.ucr.edu/Yudof%20and%20Gould%20Statement.pdf

http://chancellor.ucr.edu/documents/Statement%20from%20Chancellors.pdf

---

All of this on the heals of media reports showing that colleges and universities are not doing a good job of retaining minorities and graduating them. This was last week's letter from the Chancellor:

Dear Friends,

There have been several stories in the national and regional media this week regarding gaps in college graduation rates along racial and ethnic lines.

At the University of California, Riverside, graduation rate gaps are negligible.

The March 1 print edition of Newsweek contained an article titled, “Minority Report: American universities are accepting more minorities than ever. Graduating them is another matter” (http://www.newsweek.com/id/233843).

While the authors highlight a number of public universities with pronounced racial and ethnic gaps in graduation rates, they - as well as students, parents and lawmaakers - should know that such results are hardly inevitable.

Among UCR entering freshmen classes over the last half-dozen years, African Americans, Chicanos/Latinos, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and whites each graduated at rates of 66-70%. In fact, data from the last two years of graduating classes show our African American students outperformed whites, 71% to 66%.

This success is not because we admit only elite students. Rather, we add enormous value through freshman learning communities and other academic opportunities and support efforts during a student’s matriculation. Further, our students generally have a strong work ethic about their studies and have had instilled in them by prior experience - coupled with theiir own intrinsic drive and ability - a deep responsibility to taake full advantage of the opportunities offered by UCR.

UC Riverside faculty and staff maintain an unyielding commitment to diversity as a vital component of academic excellence in today’s world. Our diversity of people, programs, and ideas has demonstrably enhanced our teaching, learning, research, and creative activity. This is reflected in a quote this week from our fourth-year student La Tonya Hodges, who is African American, “When you see there are black people around you being successful and graduating, that pumps you up to want to achieve and do well.”

Upon graduation, students from the nine UC campuses with undergraduate students are queried through the University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey. In response to the statement that, “Diversity is important on this campus,” 91% of Riverside graduates agree (the range across UC is 74% - 91%). When asked “Are students of my race/ethnicity respected on this campus?”, 87% of UCR students agree; for African American students it’s 77%; for Chicano/Latino students it’s 90%; and Asian American/Pacific Islander 88%. These responses are consistently among the top across the UC.

The word about UCR’s success in recruiting, retaining and graduating students of color has been gaining traction in the media, including just this week a mention in New York Times and California Watch blogs, and our regional paper The Press-Enterprise (links follow my letter for those interested).

While some universities and colleges seek recognition for the students they admit, we are most interested in being known for the students we graduate...and it is a gratifying point of pridee for our faculty, staff, students, and alums to see the national recognition in this regard.

Best regards,

Tim

Tim White, Chancellor

  -------

 

17 Students were arrested at UC Irvine in part for protesting racists acts ongoing at UCSD

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/24/uc-irvine-protest-17-arre_n_475903.html

 

"Seventeen UC Irvine activists were arrested after carrying out an impassioned sit-in outside the school chancellor's office this morning."                                                                                                                                  

This is an investigative report from 20/20 from 2 about 2 years ago. You'll have to check out the 2 videos (they are each about 6-7 min. long), but I thought this was an excellent example of how race and crime are associated in many people's mind. I thought the results of this report were pretty amazing. What would you do in this situation? Do you think you would react as most people did in this video, or would your behavior be different because of what we know about racism? Would the results of this "study" be different depending on the environment?


Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNu-WZdHzaA&NR=1

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIVgMvuCM_k&feature=related

This is a pimp named Ken who pimps all over the world. "Pimpin" is a form of power that one may have on another. This video shows some of the concepts he goes by also shows his reasoning. He is promoting his new book called Pimpology and DVD series which he explains 48 laws to the game of pimpin. What is the psychological aspect they use to get the women? what is wrong with the thought process of a PIMP and HOE? Does our US government pimp us?

Over the weekend I was in Minneapolis when I noticed a brand new Bentley sitting in the parking lot.  Honestly my first thought was that this car probably belongs to a big, black, professional athlete or rapper.  Much to my surprise, a dressed down mixed-race woman and her daughter got in the car.  After this, I got to wondering why I would associate a $100K car with a black man.  So I did a little looking into it and found this video, it is literally just a voice recording with a picture slide show but it is a very unique look at, perhaps, why I jumped to this conclusion.  The video says that rich white men have been creating negative stereotypes for black people so that they can have more power.  Listening to this video got me very puzzled.  Perhaps I've been lied to all my life, but I just can't see what this video is trying to say.  What are your thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36vgBn6CAyU

Today I want and saw Shutter Island.  I'm not going to go into any spoilers or anything, but you should all go and see this movie.  It is a very well done movie on a number of levels, but I think it is more interesting for psychologists because of the setting in a 1954 mental institute.

The reason that I think this belongs here is because there is a theme brought up a couple of times during the film about prejudice toward those with mental illness.  Once a person is labeled as having a mental illness there is pretty much nothing they can do to get rid of the label.  It is different than being of a different race or gender because it is a diagnosis, so people feel they have more of a justification for prejudice against those with mental illness.  The film also points out that in a lot of cases if a person trys to argue that they don't have the illness it feeds into the diagnosis, or people just won't listen to them because they are labeled as mentally ill.

I know that Dr. Brown does some research on the stigma that people have toward the mental illness, but I don't know about any research being done concerning discrimination against them.  I'm sure it is happening somewhere, I just haven't seen it.

Here's a link to a Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/233843

It's talking about how many minority students are getting into colleges, but they are not graduating. I thought this article was especially relevant since it directly mentions UNI:

"At less-selective state schools, the numbers get worse. During the same time frame (2007), the University of Northern Iowa graduated 67 percent of its white students, but only 39 percent of its blacks."

What do these numbers say about our university? Many schools seem to be trying to blame the students, but what is really going on here? How do we as a nation try to address this issue?

I found the following article: http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/wheres-the-diversity-at-the-winter-olympics.php on msnbc.com. As you might have guessed from this posts title, the article talked about the lack of minority representation at the Winter Olympics, not just today but throughout its history.

Why is it that the number of minority athletes participating in winter sports is so limited? The author of the article states "African-Americans simply aren't participating in winter sports due largely to limited access and exposure to these sports, a lack of resources and opportunities to train, and the high costs associated with them."

What I find most interesting is that they fail to mention other minorities, particularly those from Latin American countries. Is it just the warm climate that's not conducive to wanting to participate and support winter sports? Or is it something more?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRfjLfyXYlA

 

This clip shows a black man getting into an elevator where a white woman is, describing how she clutches her purse only makes him want to steal it from her.

I chose this video because it reminded me a lot of that clip in Crash where she clutches her purse and then the two black men end up stealing their car. The clip shows a few different things that I find sort of interesting. As a woman I have felt that way before, not necessarily because the person is black, but because I am alone. This black man is describing that she is being racist, but what if it is just because she is alone and nervous? Another interesting thing he brings up is that because she is acting this way and he is seeing it as racist....he says he wants to snatch that purse from her because of her actions. Again.. linking it to Crash.. maybe they would not have targeted them if she had not acted afraid? What do you think? Anything else relevant here?

http://www.kwwl.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4563799&h1=You%27ve%20Got%20Class%3ARacism%20and%20Bullying&vt1=v&at1=Station 9&d1=156067&LaunchPageAdTag=Search Results&activePane=info&rnd=30868717

I saw this segment this past week on the KWWL News.  I thought it was inspirng to see these children who want to make a difference in the Waterloo school district.  They did a survey of middle schools in the area, to talk about if they see racism and bullying in their schools, the numbers were shocking.  A lot of  children who took the survey, also said that they wanted to learn more about racism, so they are teaming up with the Human Rights Council to implement programs in area schools, they found out that talking about these issues, need to happen in early middle school rather than highschool. 

I read an article that talked about the implicit attitudes that happen from children who are 6, 10, and adults.  This test showed that children as young as six have negative attitudes towards other races.  They might not know why they have these attitudes, but the fact that this starts as early as the age of six seems disheartening.  I think that interventions need happen  earlier than middle school. If certain children are being discriminated against this early than dealing with it when it already is happening won't help those children.  There needs to be more preventative measures when dealing with racism and bullying in schools.

  In a study done by Major and O'Brien, 2005, about the social psychology of stigma, shows the effects that being stigmatized against can have on someone.  The article says that stigma has been linked to poor mental health, physical illness, academic underachievement, infant mortality, low social status, poverty, and reduced access to housing, education, and jobs (Allison 1998, Braddock and McPartland 1987, Clark et. al 1999, Yinger 1994).  Some of these ideas don't affect the children right now, it can in their future.  I think it's a good thing that these children are trying to do something now and with other children who are their age, but instead of dealing with a problem that is currently happening to children at that age, I think that doing more on the prevention side of things would be beneficial in the long run when dealing with racism and bullying in schools.

 

In Guyana, the former British colony located in South America, it is illegal to wear transgender clothing in public. Guyana's laws also prohibit homosexuality, considering it a crime. Homosexuals and transgender men have been the object of discrimination in that country, because of their status as an "illegal" group.   

After being arrested for cross-dressing, a group of transgender men have asked the Supreme Court to overturn these laws in their country. International human rights groups are supporting this initiative, but they must face the opposition from the powerful religious groups and the lack of interest of the government.

They chose February 20th to file their request before the Supreme Court, because that date corresponded with the second annual World Day of Social Justice, a UN initiative that seeks to contribute with the promotion of equal rights and justice for all.

For the the complete news article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/02/22/world/international-uk-guyana-transgender.html

For a news article including a international public opinion forum (supporting or against the initiative), click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2009/03/090313_crossdressing.shtml

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/ucsd-leaders-legislators-condemn-student-party-mocking-black-history-month.html
&
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/uc-san-diego-officials-meet-with-students-angered-by-offcampus-compton-cookout-.html

"UC San Diego administrators met Friday with more than 100 students who gathered to protest a Feb. 15 ghetto-themed "Compton Cookout" and to ask for improved conditions for black students on the campus.

Tensions have escalated since a Facebook invitation filled with racial stereotypes advertised the gathering last weekend. The invitation included references to "dat Purple Drank," an apparent mix of "sugar, water, and the color purple, chicken, coolade, and of course Watermelon."


Can you imagine if something like this occurred here at UNI? What would your reaction to your peers be? What factors do you think are at play in this community that would allow something like this to take place?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/22/sports/AP-OLY-FIG-Weir-Broadcasters-Comments.html?_r=1

The Quebec Gay and Lesbian Council has demanded a public apology from French-language broadcaster RDS after one commentator said Weir hurts figure skating's image and another said Weir should be made to take a gender test. The remarks were ''outrageous'' and ''homophobic,'' CQGL said in a statement on its Web site.

If anyone is interested. I have been in a couple of different meetings, working behind the scenes, talking with different community leaders, radio and news.

We will be starting a radio program call the "Word on the Street" which will be conversations for campus and community efforts to bring open dialogues, and discussion about issues on discrimination, stereotyping, and  racism.

The Program will be starting this Friday, and will be held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the week from 2:00-3:00pm at KBBG radio

 

Open:  To all students and Staff from UNI and HCC.

Guests:  We are looking for persons/agencies/city and county officials

Focus of the Show: Addressing and discussing topic and issues of interest at the university, and community college. Addressing and discussing topics and issues of interest at the University, and in the Community, in a dialogue format, using the study circle style, Topics will be determined by the participants/organizers and with input from the student and listeners.

 

First program:

Dialogue about why we are doing the show, issues that brought it about, the need to work collaboratively between the colleges and the community, the discussion of diversity, race, ethnicity and why these are important topics to talk about.  Opening the program up to listeners to talk about what they would like to hear discussed.

Contact:  Alex Esquivel at esquivea@uni.edu

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/us/23scotus.html

Two cases of racial discrimination were brought to the table of the Supreme Court.

   Firefighters filed that there has been issues with the Chicago fire department, claiming that they has been issues were applicants who took the exams passed, and because of there ethnicity (White's & Hispanic's) there test were throw out based on racial bias. 
  
   According to new york times"The Chicago firefighters sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race discrimination in employment and required them to file a claim within 300 days of the contested practice. the Argument on Monday concerned whether each of 11 rounds of hiring based on the 1995 test reset the clock on the statute of limitations."
   Based on the statute of limitations, I don't believe that the Supreme Court should not throw the case out, if there is a problem the Chief Justices should take it into consideration that there is a problem that has not only affected someone because the color of their skin, but it effected their families as well. Because of someone using bigotry, and a bias to select applicants.    

Below is a link to a map that shows states that allow gay marriage and states that allow first cousins to marry. I think you'll be surprised at which one has the bigger number.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/22269

Did this map surprise you? What do you think this says about the right for gays to marry? What does it say about the religious argument that gays shouldn't marry? Thou shalt not lay with another man, but cousin Maggie is totally cool.

From This American Life on NPR. The story of how the American Psychiatric Association decided in 1973 that homosexuality was no longer a mental illness.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) declared that homosexuality was not a disease simply by changing the 81-word definition of sexual deviance in its own reference manual. It was a change that attracted a lot of attention at the time, but the story of what led up to that change is one that we hear today, from reporter Alix Spiegel. Part one of Alix's story details the activities of a closeted group of gay psychiatrists within the APA who met in secret and called themselves the GAYPA...and another, even more secret group of gay psychiatrists among the political echelons of the APA. Alix's own grandfather was among these psychiatrists, and the president-elect of the APA at the time of the change. (24 minutes)

It's about an hour long, but if you get the chance, everyone should listen to this program!

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=204

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/15/family-guy-trig-palin-vid_n_462522.html

"Andrea Fay Friedman, the voice actress who played the role of "Ellen" --the character depicted as having Down syndrome on the Valentine's Day episode of Family Guy, has responded to the criticism of sometime-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin."

Actress who voiced DS girl responds:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/18/family-guy-actress-respon_n_468331.html

"Andrea Fay Friedman, the voice actress who played the role of "Ellen" --the character depicted as having Down syndrome on the Valentine's Day episode of Family Guy, has responded to the criticism of sometime-Alaska Governor Sarah Palin."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/18/victoria-beckham-defends_n_467137.html

"Beckham also had some kind words for the skinniest of models, saying, "I think that some of these girls, most of these girls are naturally thin and I don't think we should be discriminating against someone because they're too thin, too curvy or too large.""

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/why-we-laugh-black-comedi_b_469815.html

"In 1987, Robert Townsend wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Hollywood Shuffle - a comedy that took a look at how African-Americans were stereotyped and marginalized in film and television. In the new documentary, Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy, director Townsend comments on the genesis of Hollywood Shuffle saying, "It was born out of a lot of pain.""

http://www.northern-iowan.org/multimedia/travel
I was looking for a story in the Northern Iowan, and I came across this advertisement listed below in the travel section, I was thinking wow, in the newspaper of the University that talks about "diversity matters' but yet, it implies and promotes a false image when and entity is being bias toward an ethnicity Mexican's/Latinos/Hispanics can take this ad offensive when it says "you don't have to cross the boarder." 


Ad:
Spring Break Texas
Spring break South Padre Island is an affordable destination with beautiful beaches, stunning ocean views, and a party scene that is simply unbeatable. South Padre Island has the perfect mix of a Mexican feel without having to cross the border.

Is it discriminatory, towards Mexicans'/Latinos/Hispanics?  You tell me how I should feel reading this ad if you were in my shoes? How does it make you feel when you see this? 

This is a real short story about a government agency seeking to reduce prejudice attitudes from a young age. It would consider preschool children to be 'racist' by saying that they don't like foriegn foods. I think it's a little silly since most kids win't eat anything but chicken nuggets and mac & cheese. Our tase buds get less sensitive as we get older and kids are probably just hypersensitive to foods that have a lot of flavor. Does this mean we should brand them as racists? Does disliking different foods really mean you're prejudiced? I think i's a good idea to combat prejudice at an early age, but isn't personal food preference a little too far? In my opinion that's like telling someone they're unamerican for not liking steak. What do you think?

http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/2008/07/07/toddlers-who-dislike-spicy-food-racist/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UyvoSaocUQ

This is a link to the trailer for " The Devil Came on Horseback".  As you can see in the trailer it is about the experiences of a ceasefire monitor for the African Union while he was in Dar Fur.  There are a lot of explicit pictures in this film taken from the ground and the air, because that was the job of the monitor.  He was there to take pictures, and was not allowed to interfere in any way. 

There is a lot of frustration expressed in the film on the part of the observer.  He was in the army before he had this job and didn't like being in the situation and not be able to help.  There is a point where he talks about how he is sitting in the same place on the helicopter as he did when he was a gunner, but there is no gun.  He wants to stop what is going on and he feels like having a half dozen gunships would be all that they would need to end the conflict.
 
I think that the hardest part of the film to watch is a part where the observation chopper watches the government military stand by as a whole village is killed and burned.  The government troops even tell the observers to just leave. There are obvious tracks on the ground from where the Janjawid had come and talked with the military group just a few minutes before. 

 There is also a good message about what we can do here in the U.S to try to stop this genocide from continuing. There is a large section of the film concerning activism and work with Save Darfur.  Also since this film came out the president of the Sudan has been indited for war crimes including genicide,  this makes it so that he is pretty much stuck in Sudan because most countries have signed a UN treaty against Genocide.  Unfortunately that treaty has yet to be effective in the prevention of genocide.

Here is a link the website for the movie if you want to learn more about the film, if you want to watch it you can get it from netflix or buy it for about $15:  http://www.thedevilcameonhorseback.com/

 

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/lifestyle/health_and_beauty/health_and_beauty_feature/s/1192482_the_stigma_of_a_size_20

This article doesn't take place in the United States, but I found it interesting because in the US we always talk about obesity and stigmatize against it or discriminate the people who are obese.  saying that its their fault and if people see them eating out in the malls, or shopping, or even going to work out, people give them glares about eating or surprised looks when they are at the gym. 

The lady who wrote the article isn't obese, but for two days, she wore a fat suit, so she went from a size 10 to a size 20.  She then went out to the mall with a man who used to be obese, but recently lost a lot of weight.  They said that there was only one word to describe the way that they felt. Shame. 

I have never been obese.  But I liked this article, and I have seen other tmes when people have put on fat suits to understand what it feels like and the looks that people get.  In this class we talk a lot about race and how we discriminate against each other based on our features, but there is also some overlap with how we think about obese people.  The article quotes that when people see someone who is obese, they think of them as unintelligent, lazy, and out of control.  The article also quotes the man as saying that he wouldn't eat in public, in fear of being stared at and people yelling things, but then once he got home he would not stop eating and that would further his obesity.  So obesity, like related to an article I had read for class, can be a self-fulfilling profecy.

Henry Lewis Gates is a professor at Harvard university. He was coming home from a flight and he couldn't get in his door. A White woman called the police said that someone was breaking into his house. After the situation, Henry was later arrested when he asked for the officers badge number. After watching this clip do you believe his arrest was racist? Also what measure could the cop have taken to be more reasonable or understandable?

Here's a link to an article on MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35357949/ns/us_news/

Here's a small news story about a train line that went to an Asian neighborhood, and it was the yellow line. Members of the Asian community have been complaining since November, and now, it is going to be called the gold line. What do people think about this? Was the decision to name this line yellow racially insensitive? In this particular case, change did happen when people spoke out about it. Has anyone else heard of stories similar to this?

Just a little plug for an event and an organization that I think you all should know about if you do not already. V-Day is an international organization with the mission of ending all violence toward women and girls. Below I have left a link for the V-Day website and the link to V-Men a series of essays from men about their journeys to their contributions toward ending violence against women and girls. Guys especially might want to check that out.

I feel the whole movement works to change people's sometimes misinformed views about violence against women. It also helps give women a voice all around the world and helps create awareness for the way woman are treated in various parts of the world.

The Vagina Monologues is a wonderful show that everyone should see at least once because of its ability to stretch one's horizons. Especially if one considers themselves  "Midwestern" and/or "of a traditional upbringing" this show might make you uncomfortable (but that's because of the mental scaffolding its breaking). It certainly has a lot of talking points. UNI is having a show this weekend, if you cannot go you could go to Wartburg's Monologues March 6th at 8pm! If that's not available you can pull up some of the scenes from it on youtube. I feel it's more insightful as a whole show in context though.

If anyone has done anything or seen anything from any of these sources, I would love to hear how they impacted you.

Vagina Monologues

Friday, 2/19/10 - Saturday, 2/20/10
7 pm, CAC 108 The Vagina Monologues seek to raise awareness and funds for the prevention of violence against women world-wide. Proceeds will benefit Club Les Dames, the NE Iowa Food Bank and V-day international.. Tickets/Registration: Tickets are $10, or $5 with a donation of two canned goods.

 

http://www.vday.org/home

http://www.vday.org/meet-vday/v-men

My girlfriend is currently working 12 months as an AmeriCorps Vista in Minneapolis.  She is working in some low income areas of the suburbs.  Through her position she is receiving some training on various things and recently she had a multicultural training.  In this she learned that the new "preferred" term for those in the U.S. who are not white is "people of color", and is no longer "minorities."  Reason being that "people of color" puts the emphasis on the person, and is not a one-word term to refer to a group of people.  I would first like to know what you think about such "politically correct" ways of speech.  Does me saying "people of color" instead of "minorities" cause ME to THINK of the person as more of a person, and not just a group of people who are different than me?  Or is the overall goal not to necessarily impact the way I think, but more so out of respect to those who it applies to?  Second, do you think we will ever have a final and official politically correct way to refer to groups of people, or will we continue to come up with new ways because we are a prejudice people and can't seem to treat each other with respect?


And on a side note, when searching for "people of color preferred term"  I found this handy chart on preferred terms, and not preferred terms for groups of people.  I would recommend printing a copy and taking it with you wherever you go...

http://www.gcorr.org/atf/cf/%7B9412EEAA-507B-4DDB-8168-B750F1B8A277%7D/Speaking_of_Diversity.pdf

"Although more and more American schoolgirls grow up playing team games, those sports just don't attract commensurate attention at any level. With women's team sports, there is still a glass grandstand"

"While Las Vegas will take bets on almost any game men suit up for, only at NCAA tournament time can you bet the women's game. Then, ironically, almost no women bet -- just hard-core male gamblers."

Could this be?  Is it really possible that the only reason more fans aren't...well...fans is because they can't place a wager on these Huskies?  I think the author of this article may be trying to put a unique spin on the situation, and may even be avoiding a more "delicate" dialogue.  American culture has always subscribed to the "Great Man" perspective, the idea that success comes to those who work hardest and have the gusto for cutthroat action.  In team sports success is achieved through teamwork, something Tiger and Serena don't have to worry about.  All the while though, the world tunes in for the World Series and the Super Bowl, both of which are team sports.  So it can't be JUST that you can't bet on women's sports, or that its a team sport.

This short clip is from an episode of South Park where the boys are redefining the word 'fag' to refer to Harley riders. Like a lot of stuff on South Park, it can be offensive if you don't see the humor in it, but this clip does bring up a couple good points related to the class. For one, it addresses changes in the meaning of words. For example, bastard used to be really offensive but now that having children before marriage is more common, people use it more in casual conversation and not a lot of people take offense to it. This is just a clip, but if you watch the whole episode, the homosexual members of South Park get behind the definition change to say that it no longer refers to them. So what happens when a group is no longer offended? Does the word lose its power? Can we as a society take the power out of words or should we continue to suppress those that emotionally charged? Does suppression itself increase the word's power?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22EkUGnoJfM&feature=related

 

The link above has a few clips of a character named Uncle Ruckus from the show "The Boondocks". Uncle Ruckus is a black character who offers negative commentary on his own race. Throughout the series he tries to promote the ideas of the 'white man' and devalue the opinions of the 'black man'. What kind of situations foster this type of person that rejects their own in-group to promote the out-group to their category? Is there a benefit for him to back up the white people and devalue his own group? Does this leave him with no group to identify with at all now?

Pope Benedict XVI has expressed his opinion against the proposed anti-discrimination laws in the U.K., which seek to prevent discrimination against job applicants based on race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. These new laws would also apply to religious organizations that employ lay people, which could mean legal actions against the Catholic Church for denying employment to homosexuals or transsexuals.   

One news article quotes Pope Benedict: "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal [of equality] has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed."

His remarks have caused discontent among secular groups, who are already planning protests during the Pope's visit to the U.K. next September. The president of the U.K. National Secular Society said: "The taxpayer is going to be faced with a bill for £20m for the visit in which he has already indicated he will attack equal rights and promote discrimination."

The news articles can be found here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/02/world/main6166603.shtml 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/02/equality-laws-unjust-pope-uk

Alex found this cool website for an organization called Annunciation House. They're an organization comprised of volunteers who aid thousands of people who immigrant to this country from all over Mexico and Latin America. Check out the video to get a better understanding of the hardships that people go through when immigrating to this country:

http://annunciationhouse.org/about/video/

This video really hit close to home because my parents went through enormous amounts of hardship when they brought my sister and I to the U.S. They left their families, their language, their culture, and everything else behind in order to provide a better life for all of us. My mom went 5 years without seeing her mom and 10 years without seeing some of her siblings because she couldn't cross back into Mexico while her paperwork was being processed. My father went from being a Mining Engineer to a farm hand and later a garbage collector for the city of El Paso. They've faced a lot of racism and discrimination not just because of what they look like or where they come from, but also because they speak with an accent. I too remeber being 5 years old and being made fun of for not knowing how to speak English very well. Also, my great grandfather used to tell me horror stories of when he worked on fields in McAllen, Texas and California during the 1950's and 1960's. He said he and his friends would do back breaking labor, in very harsh conditions, and at the end of the day they would see multiple truckes filled with limes leaving the place where they worked, and thinking, "Look at all those limes, the owners are making a lot of money, and here they are paying us 12 cents a day." One of the things that stood out the most however was that he paid into Social Security and never saw a dime out of that money. A lot of people don't realize that there have been millions of workers who are exploited and pay into things like Social Security and taxes, and never see any of that money. Instead, others reap the benefits of their hard work. Anyhow, that's my two cents for the day.

Another article on body image/weight:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/fashion/16DIARY.html


This is report on a runway model that has lost work because of her weight, despite the fact that she is a size 4, which is still considered skinny to most people. What kind of message does something like this send not only to aspiring models, but young women in general? Also, why is it that an issue like this exists when it would seem that most people understand that runway models don't look like most people? I know there are some modeling agencies that support healthier, fuller bodies, but why isn't there more of a push for average looking models when most people (I'd assume, anyway) would accept them just the same if not more than "super"models?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/14/director-kevin-smith-too_n_461803.html

Some of you may have already heard about this, but recently film director Kevin Smith was removed from a Southwestern Airlines flight because the airline personnel claimed he was "too fat" to fit into the seat. Southwestern Airlines has a policy that states that if you cannot fit between the armrests of seat, you must get another ticket for the seat next to you in order to fly. Smith claims that he comfortably fit between the armrests, but was removed from the flight anyway.

I find it interesting that the resolution airlines have for overweight individuals that cannot fit into standard seats is to order another seat. Doesn't this seem wrong to a certain extent? Shouldn't there be better alternatives available for people that cannot fit into the standard seat (which usually are not all that big in the first place)? Doesn't this appear to be discriminatory towards overweight people even though it is part of the airline's policy? Any ideas for a better way to go about situations like this? I also thought it was strange that both Smith and the Airline are communicating via twitter....but that's a whole different issue...

What do you think?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-secours/cancer-john-mayer-and-ple_b_462217.html

"For some, the assertion that "racism resides within all white people" was more offensive than Mayer's comments about black women, white women or gays."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/14/director-kevin-smith-too_n_461803.html

"Kevin Smith was delayed getting from Oakland to Burbank Saturday night because he was "too wide for the sky." According to the 'Clerks' and 'Jay & Silent Bob' director's Twitter, Southwest Airlines removed him from a flight after deeming him a safety risk."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-fletcher-jr/lessons-from-black-histor_b_462688.html

"If there is one critical lesson from the last year, it is that in the absence of social movements -- and particularly social movements with dynamic and audacious leadership -- political change does not happen in a progressive direction irrespective of the intent of elected leaders. "

This job fair offered free portraits for people to include with their applications. What do you think about the practice of including a photograph with a job application or resume? Do you think age (or other types of) discrimination could occur?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/09/job-fair-free-portraits-c_n_456065.html

"Crash" has approximately 1.5 millions topics relevant to this course ;)

have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9kT1yO4MGg

During the 1963 segregation was used by Police Chief Bull Connor, But was it right for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and the SCLC to demonstrating in Birmingham, Alabama.  The use excessive force by Bull Connor was a deliberate action which should be used on children, women, and man by the use of police dogs attacking demonstrators and fire hoses knocking people off of there feet, was seen across the world.

President John F. Kennedy then mention the civil rights, later singed in 1964 by President Johnson after the assassination of Kennedy.  If it was not for Bull Connor being a prick in his beliefs the nation would not have seen the problem that minorities faces during the 1960'.    

the following is something that happen because they are tired of being treated like animals, by police corruption unjust actions such as being racially profiled, harassed, and know and seeing four of three officers guilty of a crime which was caught on tape and they were acquitted as a result, and not having faith in the Judaical system.  

Dream Deferred

What happen to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up

Like a rasin in the sun?

Or fester like a sore...

and then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?

Or crust and sugar over...

like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags

like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Langston Hughes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hEtN0-vF90

Scene from American History X, within this scene it is a very heated debate about how Rodney King was attacked by police officers, while having dinner. Son  played by Edward Norton who simulates a racial skin head group member 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ-2OMIQbq4

This is a graphic video were Rodney King is getting beating, kicked and hit with a baton  by LAPD officers. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw2pRnBgeBU&NR=1

The aftermath of the Police trail were the police were proven not guilty which sparked the LA riots, listen to the news reporter, reporting the story and the language they are using to describe the scenes going on... some of the graphics are hard to see but it is a reality of what happened in 1992 in Los Angeles, California.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIB6ST9nNG0

This video is based on the actions of war which soldiers endure in the field. How does a man or women dissociate emotions while seeing a fellow solider or a comrade die before them, the reaction of the flight or fight is built in all of us, as a mechanism to protect  us from harm. It maybe graphic for some people to watch live action..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APVa_55Jpgs&feature=channel

this video is something that is not very surprising to me due to the results of war, we maybe fighting the war on terrorism, but in actuality we our also promoting violence in the heart of kid, maybe one of there family member were killed by our US or collation forces. Making children want to did for a cause, or the jihad. I not saying that it is justifiable for the kids to do it, but for the American/collation force soldiers at war, how does it effect them in taking a child's life or murdering a women or a man that have bombs strapped on to there bodies...

What do you think about this? Do you think it is right that I touched on this subject?

I did it for a reason i do have a friend that lost her husband in the War of Afghanistan living his wife to raise three children alone, and the effect it has on soldiers families that people do see.. 

You are required to write a book report for this course. The book report is worth 100 points.  The report should be 2000 words long, typed, and in APA style (1 inch margins, double spaced, citations where appropriate, cover page, reference page).  You will be submitting your book report to www.turnitin.com where I will verify that your work has not been plagiarized. You will also turn in an identical hard copy to me on the day that it is due.

Here are some guidelines for your book report.

Buy your book early. Don't wait to find out that it will take 10 days to get to you through the mail.

Read your book.

Your next step will be to organize what you are going to say about it in your report. Writing the basic elements down in an outline format can help you to organize your thoughts. Your report should focus on the psychological factors related to stereotyping, prejudice, and/or discrimination. Don't just try to write this off the top of your head, but rather, from your focused effort in applying the principles from your readings and lecture to the book you read. You should only very briefly summarize your book (e.g., less than one page). The remainder of your paper should be focused on the relevant psychological factors inherent in the story or content of your chosen book. Questions? See me.

The Final Paper

1. Spell check your paper.

2. Have a friend read and review your paper.

3. Read your paper out loud.

4. Make any changes that your friend and you have pointed out.

5. Spell check again.

Grading:

10pts for APA style cover page

10pts for APA style reference page

10pts for APA style throughout the paper

10pts for appropriate length of paper

25pts for accurate and effective presentation of psychological principles/concepts

25pts for writing style

10pts for spelling/grammar

 

Earlier this week I watched Hotel Rwanda for the first time.  I knew about the genocide there previously but I didn't knew as much about the differences between the two groups involved.  Here is a clip that explains the difference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAl79s9PMuI

After watching this and realizing that the differentiation between the groups was completely artificial I wondered how somthing like this could happen.  Most of the killings in this genocide were carried out with machetes, a very personal way to attack someone.  How could the artificial in and out groups become so salient that they allowed people to commit such violent acts?  Do you think something like this could have happened if there had not been artificial groups created by the colonials?

     The other day I ran into Hy Vee for a handful of random items I needed for a recipe.  Nine times out of ten, I check out with an associate, however because I was in a rush and the lines were quite long, I decided to use the "Self Check Out" kiosk.  Since I also speak Spanish (or at least make an effort to), I often choose the "Espanol" option for this kind of interface, likewise with ATM's and such. 
     I completed my transaction with the robotic self checkout system, effectively eliminating any human contact from my shopping experience, however I was able to justify this with a little practicando in Spanish.  The interface provided detailed instructions in Spanish through text on the screen AND a soothing and spicy female voice using perfect Spanish pronunciation.
     So far, so good.  I was disturbed and shocked in disbelief once I received my receipt, for though the entire transaction proceeded in Spanish, my receipt was printed exclusively in ENGLISH!  Now, if you've shopped at HyVee before, you know that you receive a fuel discount of $0.05 or more when you gas up at a Hy Vee gas station. 
     Now tell me this:  What good is a Spanish speaking self checkout system if my receipt is printed in English?  Is HyVee trying to avoid doling out fuel discounts to Spanish speakers?  Some might use the tired "If you want to live in MY country, you need to be able to speak ENGLISH, or else you can go back to YOUR country!  George Washington Abraham Jefferson didn't fight in the Spanish-French Independence Civil War so that my kids have to learn EhspHaneole"

     I encourage you to write to HyVee using the link posted above, and alert them of this oversight as I have.  If that computer is smart enough to tell me how much Apple Cider Vinegar costs in Spanish, and HyVee is wealthy enough to sponsor a flippin marathon in DesMoines, certainly they can print a receipt in Spanish.  If you disagree with me, you're LOCO AMIGO!

Sincerely,

Geraldo 

I randomly found this video from a show in Australia interviewing Americans before the last presidential election. They found a wonderful sample to represent us. There is a lot of anti-Middle East sentiment and general prejudice involved. How do you think other countries perceive us from videos like this and more generally? Are you surprised by any of the comments in the video? How well do you think this sample represented the general American public?

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/05/28/2009-05-28_black_cop_killed_by_white_officer.html

This is a strong problem that we face in today's society. What do you think can be done to make police more aware and cautious about these things?

Here is a good link from Newsweek: http://photo.newsweek.com/2010/2/memorable-quotes-from-iconic-African-Americans.html

The site has photographs and memorable quotes from iconic African-Americans. Also, here is another link from Newsweek: http://photo.newsweek.com/2010/2/iconic-moments-in-black-history.html This site also has photographs and shows memorable moments in black history, such as Brown vs. the Board of Education.

I like what the writer states at the beginning: "If Black History Month is going to remain culturally relevant, then we must use it as a time to reflect, not only on where we're going but on where we came from."

What other moments or people could be included on this site that weren't?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/08/meghan-mccain-calls-out-t_n_453778.html 3.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/09/colbert-sarah-palin-is-a_n_454744.html   2. 

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/02/02/emanuel-steps-up-his-apology/    1.

Several links here in reverse order, so I suggest you start with number one and then go that way (I numbered them).

Rahm Emmanuel called the liberal democrats 'f'n retards' then Sarah Palin called for his resignation for saying such things. Rush Limbaugh said that Rahm Emmanuel's comments were much ado about nothing and that you can't say anything in this PC world. "Why can't you call people who are retards 'retards' [referring to the liberal democrats]....they're going to go to the White House and have a retard summit". Sarah Palin defended Limbaugh as being satirical and that she wasn't the 'word police'. Colbert diagnoses the situation in video 3 rather bluntly...

First of all is the r-word comparable the n-word? (another reference Palin made). Is there a ranking of words that are more taboo than others? Does such fuss about word usage and policing words create a feeling of disillusionment and desensitization to the general public or even worse defensiveness? Are we just filling up news dockets, or does this stuff matter?    

Tolerance.org published this article by Rebecca S. Bigler, Ph.D.  The article takes a simple look into school-related gender bias.  How many times do you think you've heard phrases like "good morning, boys and girls", "ladies and gentlemen, welcome...", or "boys vs. girls"?  Throughout our 15+ years in academia, my guess would be we've all heard such gender labels used in generic fashion like this hundreds, if not thousands of times without giving it much thought.  Well what if drawing attention to gender differences like this on a daily basis at an early age perpetuates into stereotyping, stereotype threat, and bias?  Recent studies have shown this could be the case.

The article gives a few ideas as to how to correct this problem.  Using groups such as boys and girls is a really easy, and natural thing to do, so rather than selecting something like gender teachers could separate the students by what kind of shoes they're wearing (laces, buckles, velcro, etc) or other such things.  The article also, however, mentions that gender should not be ignored in any way.  It just needs to be approached in a way that would not enter into bias or stereotyping.

My thoughts on this are as follows:  I never would have stopped to think that using gender as a constant grouping, and drawing excessive amounts of attention to gender could be a precursor to gender bias.  At surface level it seems like one of those "crazy over protective findings that causes more troubles than its worth... just let the kids figure things out".  However, it makes me wonder how I might view gender differently if my school-hood would have avoided the gender-typing.

My question for you is... how early is too early to begin mentioning stereotyping and sexism?

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-28-fall-2005/good-morning-boys-and-girls

So he used the N-word. What do you think?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/10/john-mayer-apologizes-i-w_n_457445.html

Title IX

A discussion about Title IX, a nearly forty year old law that opened the door for women in high school and college sports. We speak with Donna Lopiano, the former C.E.O. of the Women's Sports Foundation and a pioneer and champion of Title IX. Then, a conversation with Calli Sanders, Senior Associate Athletics Director at Iowa State University, and Craig Ihnen, Associate Director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union about the status of Title IX in Iowa.

"Las estrellas de la línea" ("The Railroad All-Stars) is a documentary written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Chema Rodríguez. It follows a group of sex workers from Guatemala City as they form a soccer team and compete in local championships, in a effort to draw attention to their denunciation of the precarious conditions of poverty and risk in which they live and work, as well as to demand respect for their rights as human beings. Through the interviews, the audience learns about their personal histories and tragedies that led them to become sex workers.

One of the most moving scenes of the documentary, an event which caused controversy in Guatemala at the time, is when they join a soccer league that have their matches at a private soccer club located in a upscale area of the city. Despite having paid their fees to join, they were expelled from the league because of complaints from members of the club. As one well-known local columnist wrote: "it is unacceptable in a private club to have a group of whores playing soccer alongside young ladies of the highest social and economic rank in the country." This started a series of columns in local newspapers, some challenging the prejudice, others expressing the prejudice very openly. At least people started talking about a neglected and ignored group of people within our society. 

For a review of the documentary:

http://www.socialdesignsite.com/content/view/64/73/

For the trailer:

http://estrellasdelalinea.blogspot.com/2009/01/triler-de-estrellas-de-la-lnea.html

In one of the last classes we had, I remember talking about how there is a stigma put against Waterloo, I'm not from around here, but I have heard this in other classes as well.  I have also heard that Cedar Falls is known as the "nicer place" to live and were people of higher classes live.  I never realized all of the negative things going on between these two towns until one of my roommates told me a story about something she had seen about two weeks ago.

My friend's boyfriend is a coach for the Waterloo West Varsity Basketball Team.  She was at the game when Waterloo West played against Cedar Falls.  After the game she came to me talking about how at the game, whenever a black player on the Waterloo West team would shoot a free throw the Cedar Falls student section would yell "Haiti."  She then went on to tell me that no one stopped the Cedar Falls section from saying these things.  It wasn't until the Waterloo West side said something about how disrespectful their words were to not only their team, but to talk about such a tragedy going on currently.  One of the players, for Waterloo West, girlfriends went and talked to one of the Cedar Falls fans telling them how wrong it was the statements that they were making.  The fan then said "Well I didn't start the chant," she was shocked that they didn't see the wrong it what they were saying.  Then when she went back and sat down, they started to make fun of her.

I was in shock to hear this story and how no one stopped the fans from saying these things and that Waterloo had to come over and ask them to stop, and this was just happening at a high school basketball game.  I had heard of other hateful things going on within the Cedar Falls school system, but haven't heard of things being done with these students and the school.

I've attended these sessions before. She is a good and knowledgeable presenter. Consider attending!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luve-lex9nQ

 

Sparkling Wiggles sounds like a harmless thing for a child to say, but what does it sound like she is saying? The child has no idea what she is saying, but the parents definately do. While it may be cute to listen to the mistakes that children make in their language, how far is too far? The parents know what is being said, and is having her say it in more "humorous" ways.
The parents think they aren't causing much of a problem, but how would the child feel if she knew the extent to what she was saying? When she sees the video when she's older will she be angry that her parents let her say these things? If the chlid was out in public and was saying what she thought was "sparkling wiggles", but an African American heard, do you think something would be said?

Have a question about the class? About the technology? About an article, concept, theory, or methodology? Post it here and your fellow students (and I) will monitor this and answer questions.

In the article below, McGinley talks about how these words hurt and likens it to bullies threatening those who cannot defend themselves. How does this notion contribute to some groups *wanting* to take these words back, or use them, or discuss them?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-c-mcginley/r-word_b_456316.html

"Make no mistake about it: words do hurt! And when we pepper our speech with "retard" and "retarded," we are spreading hurt. So stop it. Stop saying "retard" and "retarded." There is no acceptable occasion to lace our dialogue with words like "nigger," or "kike" or "faggot" or "cunt.""

 

http://www.kwwl.com/Global/story.asp?S=11953503

Friday afternoon  I learned about this incident while having a meeting with the Cedar Falls Police Chief, Mayor, and City Attorney. As I was showed pictures of the graffiti, seeing it i was upset knowing that this type of activity is still going on here in the city. This is the first time  mentioning anything about it, because seen it on the news.      

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIuimjehBvo&NR=1&feature=fvwp

I know everyone see Jesse Jackson as a Good Civil Rights Leader who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and he did start the Operation Bread Basket in Chicago during the Civil rights movement. Jesse saw talking shit about Presidential candidate Barrack H. Obama, when he was being interviewed.  If one of us made that comments we would be rushed in and talked to by the secret service and maybe throw in jail for making a threat to harm the Presidential Candidate. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhCjmM3psAc&feature=related

Jesse Jackson''s reaction reaction when Obama won the Presidency I can understand the happiness and the tears of joy, of having a historical moment as Elected President Obama is elected the first black President of the United States. 

An I can understand the frustration that Rev. Jesse Jackson has in not being the first president as he ran in the 80 or 90's, which he failed.  But to be hypocritical and a ass on national television talking about dismembering someone else tells us the people about his character as a man of god..

What do you think???

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2008/victims.html

I was looking at the FBI statistics on hate crimes in 2008. And i found that there are different categories that are interesting. that range from racial bias, sexual-orientation, religion, ethnicity and disability. it is interesting on how they categorize the different crimes and the statistics. I wonder if we can look up which part of the country is the highest crime rate, and hate crimes.

Maybe this can help in showing the numbers of event happening with in the United States.

http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo/story?id=6551048&page=1

This video is about racism, and how people react to a man who does not speak English in a New Jersey deli, customer it is setup by what would you do, and John Quienos dresses up and plays the role of and immigrant  to see the reaction of the customer if they say anything.  

Do you think it is right that all immigrants should speak the English language when living in America?  Or should immigrants be allowed to keep there culture, or become more Americanized, by leaving there culture behind?

http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/804/

This is the link to the episode of South Park that Matt Sienkiewicz referred to multiple times in his talk tonight: "What's Under Kyle's Hat?: South Park, Antisemitism, and the Jew Joke in Multicultural America". See my comment on this under the post for this lecture if you're interested in my take on the subject.

This episode could be very offensive to some people, so just a warning. Are there any aspects of this episode (or South Park in general) that seem to cross the line of what is humor and what is wrong? Or does this type of thing seem to be the norm in popular culture today? Are you for or against some sort of regulation on offensive humor in the media? See my comment post for more discussion questions....

I found this article on yahoo the other day about an Iraq War vet in my hometown of El Paso, Texas. Back in 2003, a convoy from Fort Bliss in El Paso, got lost and later ambushed by the Taliban in Iraq. Most of you probably have no idea what I am talking about at first. But what if I were to say Jessica Lynch? Ring a bell? Jessica Lynch, a 19 year old soldier was attacked and taken as a POW for several days but not before "bravely fighting her attackers" and trying to be a hero. Later, Jessica fired back at the military and the media for spinning this story to promote their agenda. She went on to say that she never fought back because her weapon had been jammed. Instead, she just prayed. We heard headlines about Jessica Lynch for weeks on end. The media and the country declared her a "Hero". But what about the rest of her colleagues who were captured or killed? Why weren't they declared heroes? The article I picked out is about a woman named Shoshana Johnson. She too was captured that day, alongside Jessica, and she too was later rescued. What's the difference you ask? Shoshana Johnson is African American:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pow_memoir

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/nyregion/05dna.html

Saturday night comedian Russell Peters takes his bold brand of cultural comedy to Radio City Music Hall.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123131827

Comedian Russel Peters describes how his present day comedy act draws upon his childhood.  While he was often the target of bullying from other classmates due to his ethnicity, he found he could "sidestep" a beatdown by making light of their stereotypes.  He explains "Because I was so small and didn't know how to fight, or couldn't fight back, I would try to flip the situation so that the bully would end up laughing and they're thinking I'm making fun of myself".  This got me thinking (a DANGEROUS pastime for someone of my mental capacity, as I can only engage in this precarious activity between VERY deep breaths), is this a healthy defense mechanism?  While Peters was preserving his own skin, was his self-deprecating activity reinforcing stereotypes?  Were his punchlines actually increasing the frequency of PUNCH OUT'S for other not-so-funny minority children?  Can you imagine?  "Make me laugh beaner, or I'll knock your teeth out!".  I'd like to think we are better off arming our youth with awareness and information, not a lengthy catalog of knock-knock jokes.  What do YOU think?

The 1915 motion picture "The Birth of a Nation" can be found on youtube broken into 20 nine minute segments.  I'm not asking you to watch the whole thing.  However, the clip below is the final 9 minutes of the film.  The premise of the movie is to depict the civil war as seen through the eyes of two brothers.  In the first few minutes of this last 9 minutes, the Ku Klux Klan is given heroic role, rescuing the poor white citizens from the menacing black invaders.  By the end of the film, all of the black soldiers are dead and the white characters are now able to live their lives in peace.

 

The Birth of a Nation

Now, it would be a stretch for me, white, middle class, 2010 Jeff to say that "yes, this is blatantly racist" or "no, it's merely a recreation of history".  There is a LOAD of literature about this film, if you care to dive into it.  However, the point of this post is to inquire as to whether time period is a valid excuse for something so point blank racist.  It has been nearly 100 years and I think it is safe to say things have changed since then.  The civil rights movement, NAACP, etc.  But can we look at a film like this and appreciate it for a piece of art: it was a very revolutionary film (one of the first full length films of its time, one of the first to try to depict war etc) and without films such as this (racism aside) we might not have the Hollywood of today.  Or, is it impossible to see beyond the images and intolerance?

So yesterday I get home and trading spouses is on.  This particular episode has one lesbian couple and one couple from Oregon.  The wife from Oregon basically freaks out when she finds out that she is going to be staying with a lesbian and talks about how it is a birth defect ect.  Then she finds out that the family has a house keeper that is an immigrant from Mexico, she goes on a tirade about how Mexicans are taking over the country and are doing nothing but committing crimes once they get in.  She is like this the entire week, including in public, it was extremely uncomfortable to even watch.  When a person acts out that much when they are being filmed for tv how are they in every day life?  Have you ever been in a situation where you were so uncomfortable that you wanted to leave?

I will try again later to find a clip from the show, I couldn't find one this morning.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/125747/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-wed-feb-3-2010#s-p1-sr-i0

Feb. 3 Daily Show with John Stewart talked about the proposal from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy in the military. John Oliver came on and gave a little satirical twist to the issue. Is the issue of Don't Ask Don't Tell really the right way to go from a Psychological perspective or would it be better to repeal it? Would revealing sexual preference ruin unit cohesion, or do you think it would create mistrust between soldiers?
      I posted the whole episode, but it is the on the first segment. The second segment of the show actually is good as well. Sam Bee deals with gender equality.

I found this article on Psychology Today about possible origins of homosexual prejudice. It reminded me of Terror Management Theory and how some people seek a solidified worldview to deal with existential angst. Therefore, they may be more essentialist and rely on rigid categorical processes. Do you think people higher in terror management are more likely to be prejudiced against homosexuals? Do you agree with the article that people who have rigid views of gender roles or see sexuality as a choice will be more prejudiced?

Here's a link to a Newsweek story: http://www.newsweek.com/ID/232818

The story talks about issues surrounding Black History Month. I found this interesting because it mentions the Morgan Freeman interview with Mike Wallace. Here's his quote: "You're going to relegate my history to a month? ... Which month is White History Month? ... I don't want a Black History Month. Black history is American history."

I remember watching this interview, and I was curious what others thought about this. Should there still be a Black History Month? What do you think about Freeman's assertions concerning Black History Month?

These are two articles regarding the movie "Precious" that is out at select theaters now. It actually won the Sundance Film Festival and has been nominated for several Oscars. The story which is based on the novel PUSH by Sapphire is about a 15 year old girl from Harlem who is overweight, has an abusive mother, and is pregnant with her second child by her father. Stigmas are an important part of this movie, as are poverty, education, and welfare.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120176695

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25precious-t.html?pagewanted=6&_r=1

I came across this article from yahoo:  http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/vanity-fairs-quot-new-hollywood-quot-issue-completely-lacks-diversity-578862/

To give a quick overview, the writer of this article criticized the editors at Vanity Fair magazine for their most recent "Young Hollywood" issue. The cover shows several young, up-and-coming actresses who have recently found great success in their careers in the entertainment industry. However all of them are white and skinny. By now, most people are aware of how the media's portrayal of "beauty", i.e. being a size 2, is detrimental to millions of women around the world. But what about the lack of diversity being added to that issue? What message does that send to minority women in this country? 

The article "A Whiter Shade of Christmas" by Maria Luisa Tucker (published on AlterNet), describes a group of white supremacist women called Women for Aryan Unity, whose activities are somewhat unusual for a group with racist beliefs. Their activities are more of the nurturing kind, and include sending Christmas cards to white supremacist in prison, buying gifts for the children of these prisoners, and selling a cookbook. An excerpt from the article explains:

"The idea of a nurturing neo-Nazi or a charitable skinhead is incompatible with most people's conception of racist activists. After all, a hate group is all about hate, right? Well, yes and no. For many women in the white supremacist movement, their public actions involve the nurturing of their own group. These facilitators of fundraisers, contributors to clothes drives, and community builders represent the "softer side" of hate. They are the "housewives who hate" as one person sarcastically noted on a white nationalist message board. While their actions may be more benign than that of their male counterparts, they are not necessarily less harmful."

The article explains how these women help to perpetuate the beliefs and actions of this kind of racist group. It also describes the diverse characteristics of the people involved in this group, who have different religious beliefs, different educational background, and come from diverse geographical areas. The author suggests some ways to prevent the perpetuation of this ideology:

"Perhaps the best defense against the spread of racist activism is the nurturing of a healthy, multi-ethnic youth culture. Like any group, a lot of what racist organizations have to offer is social: parties, friends and identity. If white kids are encouraged to engage in social activities that are multi-cultural, inter-faith and tolerant they will be less likely to be enticed by a free skinhead concert. Research suggests that committed racists are made, not born, and most members of racist groups become radicalized once they enter a group setting that encourages racist attitudes, so preventing recruitment into racist groups is key."

For the full article, click here:

http://www.alternet.org/story/29686/

 

This is a YouTube video that was created about Disney movies and how they can portray some negative aspects for boys and girls.  It was made to create dicussion about the effects these movies have on children, or if any.  This video talks about Masculinity, Violence, Body Image for Males, Treatment of Women, Femininity, Body Image for Females, and Submissive Behavior. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw98_2rtbH0&feature=related

Any thoughts about if children are getting any messages from these movies?  If its more or less like the research about violence in television or videogames?

As part of the Spanish Film Series entitled (Re)presenting (Im)migration, organized by the Department of Modern Languages, the documentary "Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary" was presented at the CAC building this past Monday.

The film is incredibly moving, showing some of the conditions of extreme poverty that force people from Central American countries to attempt to migrate towards the United States, facing all kinds of dangers , ranging from exhaustion to attacks by gangs, risking everything to pursue a better life for their families.  It really shows a mostly unknown fact: illegal immigrants do not wish to leave their homes and come to the USA; they do so because it is the only way they can find to try to help their families survive. Another interesting feature of this film is the interviews with the "vigilantes" at the border, who spend their days watching the border in search of illegal immigrants, acting out on their extremely negative prejudice against illegal immigrants, as well as on their belief that they are protecting their country. By giving voice to the people involved in this social phenomenon, this documentary has the power to elicit empathy and perspective-taking processes in the public.

The film series will continue throughout the Spring semester, showing other films on the topic of migration, every Monday evening at the CAC building.  

A review of the film can be found here:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117929035.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

 

For this project, the following people said they are interested:

Tom, Liz, Heather, Ryan, Dan, Jerry, George

This is a project centered around an already scheduled march to be held later this semester. Please post your ideas and progress as a comment to this entry.

Some Tips:

Keep in mind that the impact project assignment is to design and implement a project that makes an impact on some defined group of people (as related to stereotyping, prejudice and/or discrimination). Simply joining in someone else's event will not satisfy the requirements of this project. (Attending and participating in events is highly encouraged in this class, and you can do those things, blog about them and get course credit for them--however, for this project, you need to develop and do something). SO. As a group, you will need to decide how do you ADD to this already planned event, in what way, etc.

Contact the group's organizers. Find out what they already have planned, how they think you can assist, is there room for other events, etc, etc.

Granted, we have little information about this project at this point, but as it stands now, this march should not be the only project you are involved with. IF this project develops and becomes more involved (like the others), then it can be your only one. But for now, make sure you are involved with one other project as well.

The following people have agreed to participate in this project:

Alex, George, Jerry, and Liz.

This project is focused on creating a documentary of a trip to San Antonio and El Paso.

Please post your ideas and progress as comments to this entry.

Some Tips:

Create a "pitch" for this project. Pretend that you are pitching this project to possible investors (google around to see if you can find a format for this sort of thing). What this will do is force you to come up ahead of time with the basic premise of your documentary, its goals, what it is and what it is not. I'll want to see this well before travel time :)

Check into the idea of incorporating a 'service trip' to this project. Talk to Tom if you need more info on what this is.

The following people have expressed interest in the curricular challenge impact project:

Tom, Zach, Sara.

Please post as a comment to this entry your ideas, and progress. Please also post an initial comment telling us what this project is about.

The following people are interested in participating in an artistic impact project this semester: Lindsay, Cassie, Jeff

Some tips:

Search the uni website for 'art installation' 'art donation' 'art building' and see what you can find out about art on campus. There is likely a committee or office on campus that manages aspects of art on campus. See if you can find out who/where. This information will be helpful whichever type of art project you decide to do.

Send a nice, informative, professional email to Dr. Mauceri (CSBS Dean). Explain to him your interest in contributing a piece of art to the new Sabin building. Explain that it is part of a project for Dr. MacLin's Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination course. Explain the project's goals (not the art project itself, but the overall assignment's goals).  Ask if he is the one you should talk to about this idea, or if there is some other person or group responsible for art in the new building. Let him know that you are at the early planning stages, and are at this point seeking information regarding feasibility of doing/organizing an art project for the new Sabin Building.

Post your ideas and progress as a comment to this entry.

 

This week we read Aronson, Quinn, & Spencer's (1998) chapter on stereotype threat. I would like you to comment here. Don't go puny here, do a nice size post.

Relate and synthesize the article you read on your own with this chapter. Are there any theoretical, methodological or applied linkages that can be made? If so, describe and discuss.

If the article you read, has no link to this week's chapter, then do one of the following:

Provide an update on the literature. What's been done since 1998 in this area? In the style of this chapter, how would this updated literature be incorporated into this chapter should it be rewritten in 2010?

Provide information on applications of stereotype threat to the 'real world.' The chapter talks about some applied ideas, what has been done? To what level of success? Do they have data to back them up?

 

 

   

The Department of Modern Languages is hosting a film series based on Immigration, Racism and Discrimination issues in the America's (North, Central, & South) Mondays' 7:00pm in the CAC room 108.

 James Day, Mr. & Mrs. Roland Carrillo, Dr. Janet McClain, including Brittney & Myself are hosting a one month series of Study Circles Open Dialog on Racism. Location In the CME, Saturdays (Feb 6,13,20,27) from 12:00pm-2:00pm. Contact Alex : esquivea@uni.edu             

BSU (Black Student Union) is asking for help in Hosting a Maze of Oppression (Immigration, Racial profiling, genocide, Classroom (brown eyes/blue eyes), and two others segments. Looking for actors, help designing props.  February 24, 2010, 6pm-10pm. Within the Month of February there are talks about having a non-violent March from UNI to College Square Mall. Planning is in Progress. Contact Ebony Jackson at jacksone@uni.edu BSU president    

Anyone interested in being on a radio talk show about Racism. Dates are being scheduled for either evening/ or weekends. contact: Mr. Day at www.daytime@cfu.net
 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/21/inhofe-i-believe-in-racia_n_431907.html

"Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) knows he's not politically correct, but he doesn't care: "I believe in racial and ethnic profiling," the GOP senator announced at a Senate Armed Services Committee review of Fort Hood shootings on Thursday."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-green/assigning-value-to-race-t_b_443283.html

This is a really good article about the "slips-of-tongue" people in the media make sometimes (focusing most recently on Chris Matthews after the State of the Union Address).