Premium Essay

African American Culture Research Paper

Submitted By
Words 668
Pages 3
It is quite common to hear how the middle and high-income classes of the United States affect their culture and economy. However, the role that poverty and low-income classes play is not discussed as often, especially in a positive light. Usually, poverty and the impoverished are looked down upon from the other classes, causing divides. Poverty and culture affect each other at the same time, intertwining and impacting both. Some of the influences poverty produces in the culture of the United states includes stigma, segregation, and a lack of empathy. First off, poverty is stigmatized. Poverty in itself is its own culture, creating new ways to survive and function in a capitalistic society that depends on money. The large majority that makes up impoverished communities consists of minorities such as African-Americans. Since African-Americans are already being stereotyped and given the short stick, adding poverty into the mix does not produce any benefit. In American society, being low-income is shameful and receiving help from the government is seen as negative. The …show more content…
The high-income only mix with the high-income and the middle-income only mix with the middle-income. Because these groups are only mixing with each other, they become detached from the realm of poverty and do not understand the true reality of it. They are do not interact with people from impoverished societies and begin to see low-income classes and areas in a negative light. Without having any relation to these people, a lack of empathy for them develops and they are further shamed for what they are. They are seen as undeserving of help from the upper-classes and the gap between them continues to grow. This widening gap influences a cultural change in society, separating the classes and creating a culture of their own for each class and causing cultural

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

African American Culture Research Paper

... Well this is my view when it comes to Lebanese Americans and African Americans cultures. I will begin with a short history of Arabs. Beirut, Mount Hermon and Lebanon is where most of the Lebanese settlers in America came from. There are known also as the Armenian population and they speak of variety of language’s including Turkish and Armenian. However, Syriac is spoken by Assyrians, along with French and English. During World War 1, France and England separated the region into English and French territories. Eventually, “England assumed control of what became Palestine and Jordan, and France took over what became Syria and Lebanon” (Every Culture). The very first Arabic speaking Christian Lebanese individuals migrated...

Words: 629 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Religion and Ethnic Diversity Paper

...Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and Black (African) Decent Abstract This paper will identify how Mormons differ from other religious groups. Enlightening of the subject matters that pertain to their beliefs, practices, and how this religion group contributes to the American culture is the bases of the first part of the paper. This paper will also describe the discrimination and prejudice that the Mormons have to deal with because of their religion choice. This paper will also describe the African decent experience with discrimination and prejudice as well. Discrimination and prejudice takes place in all cultures and religions. People who are unwilling to understand and accept the difference that people share are going to allow this behavior to continue and pass it down from generation to generation. America is the melting pot for all ethnic backgrounds, including religions. Being more open minded and having understanding will allow us to break the stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination that we all have towards one another. Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and Black (African) Decent The United States, throughout history, has been a country of immigrants and a country of religion diversity. Discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping in the Mormon and Black decent groups have been displayed throughout the changing times. The Mormons, who emerged after the discovery of The Book of Mormon in 1830, were run out of several states before settling in Utah. Blacks who were brought...

Words: 1444 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Afericna American

...African American's Journey Essay Below is a free essay on "African American's Journey" from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. “African American’s Journey to Freedom” Charity Johnson HIS204: American History since 1865 Instructor: Leslie Ruff February 11, 2013 “African American’s Journey to Freedom” To some African Americans it may seem ironic that The United States of America is known as “the land of the free” considering that majority of their ancestors entered the US as slaves. African Americans were brought to North America via the middle passage which originated during the fifteenth century.   They were enslaved for approximately 400 hundred years until the end of the Civil War in 1865. Although African Americans were enslaved in America, they were determine to survive and one day be freed in this great country. During The African American’s journey to freedom several significant events took place which was inclusive of but not limited to: The Civil Rights Movement of 1865-1877, Separate but Equal Legislation (Plessy vs. Ferguson court case) in 1896, The Harlem Renaissance of 1920, Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, The March on Washington Movement of 1963, and The Black Power Movement of the late 1960s and 1970. I will discuss the significance of these events in relation to the African American journey to freedom and how they have help shape American society today. THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF 1865-1877 Frequently when...

Words: 5251 - Pages: 22

Premium Essay

Proposal Socs350

...Proposal for Structured Inequality of African American Men Sylvia Roberson DeVry University Proposal for Structured Inequality of Incarcerated African American Men For the proposal project, I chose scenario number three. This scenario consists of the large discrepancy of African American men incarcerated in the United States compared to Hispanic and White American men. According to the scenario “in 2003 about 10.4 of African American men between the ages of 25 to 29 were incarcerated, as compared to 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of non-Hispanic White men” (DeVry, 2014, p. 3). There is an epidemic in today’s society that negatively impact African American men in the justice system. Equality is a right that every United States (U.S.) citizen should be afforded whether in the work system or the justice system. With African American men being treated unfairly, it can directly affect my friends, neighbors, or co-workers. According to Fernando (2003), “Cultural diversity is the term given to a range of societies or peoples, with different origins, religions and traditions, all living in a specific region” (p. 1). The U. S. have a large population of different cultures and they have form a community which they live in and practice their cultural beliefs. As for African American, this group has communities that are populated with their group as well. This topic is important to cultural diversity because this is a particular group that are being singled out which is related...

Words: 453 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Native American Music

...Native American Music: A Root of Contemporary Music Yet Explored What is Native American Music? As our class brainstormed ideas for research, I already knew what topic I wanted to explore. Having been a musician, closely involved with music my entire life, I directed my focus toward Native American music. Before I began to develop any sort of directed, narrowed research questions, I asked myself first, “What is Native American music?” Regarding various definitions of the so-called “genre,” I discovered that Native American music shouldn’t be typified into any genre or defined style of music. It was the perspective toward music that was unique to Native peoples, and this perspective is key in understanding the Native American influence on later creations of music. Definition and Philosophy Native peoples tend to view their music in a distinctly different way from Euro-Americans. To Natives, music is thought; music appeared to be particularly inclusive into Native Americans’ way of life, and is unique in its origin, meaning, and efficacy. To ask “what is Native American music?” would be a question foreign to Native Americans, especially during the time that Native American music was first discovered. One aspect of music specific to indigenous peoples is its place in daily life. In fact, “its place in human affairs are much more significant to Indians than its mode of construction or technical character.” (Native American Music, 1980, p. 12) Unlike the Euro-American perspective...

Words: 3317 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

African American Stereotypes

...African American Stereotypes in Movies Media Research Methods CO 455 November 20, 2012 African American Stereotypes in Movies Introduction There once was a time when everyone expected the black man to be the first actor to die in every movie that possessed a black man in its cast. However, over time the assumption of the black man being the first to die has changed. Currently in the year 2012, there are progressively more movies in which black men portray leading roles. This change in black men as leading characters in movies is a welcome change. In the past, supporting or backup roles were considered the best role a black man could achieve. In this paper, the researcher will conduct information by means of content analysis. Content analysis is the most commonly used methodology because of its ability to measure human behavior, assuming that the verbal behavior is a form of behavior. This study will examine specific media products and define these products by determining smaller elements that complement these products. This document will address a wide view of concerns regarding the African American culture, and will provide assumptions on how this issue can be addressed in the future. The stereotype of African Americans in movies today, is the topic of this research paper. Why do African Americans face stereotypes in the media? Why do black actors and actresses have difficulty obtaining roles that are not stereotypical...

Words: 6681 - Pages: 27

Premium Essay

Racial Society

...Phoenix Religious and Ethnic Groups Out of the various religious and ethnic groups that are out there, I decided to research about the Deliverance Ministry because one of the ladies I work with is very devoted to this group. So to get a better understanding, I asked her some questions to help me with my paper. During my research I found that the Deliverance Ministry refers to the activity of cleansing a person of demons and evil spirits in order to address problems manifesting in their life as a result of the presence of said entities and the root causes of their authority to oppress the person. Adherents to this theological concept attribute physical, psychological, spiritual and emotional problems that people suffer to the activities of the oppressing spirits following the example of Jesus Christ given in the gospel. The practices and many of the underlying beliefs of these ministries are not accepted by all Christians. This religious group differs from others in a few different ways. They are compromised from different African countries and backgrounds. They preach in all different types of languages, when usually churches stick to one specific language. The Deliverance Ministry has contributed to the American culture by giving us a taste of a different kind of world and a different kind of view on religion. The Deliverance Ministry has given Americans a worldly view. When I asked my co-worker about discrimination against her group, she said there is not really a lot of...

Words: 764 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cam Therapy

...Cultural Background Paper SOC/100: INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY Cultural Background Paper January 12, 2011 Margaret Wander CULTURAL BACKGROUND The term sociology first derived from the Greek word for the study of knowledge. Sociology is a social science view of society. Sociology emerged from enlightenment thought, shortly after the French Revolution, as a positivist science of society. Its origin owed to various key movements in the philosophy of science and the philosophy of knowledge. Sociology was first coined from the French in the eighteenth century by an essayist in an unpublished manuscript. Sociology then went on to be defined with the term social physics, but that had subsequently been appropriated by others. Social research sprang from sociology, but has since gained a degree of autonomy as practitioners from other disciplines share its purpose. Similarly, social science has come to be appropriated as an umbrella term to refer to various disciplines which study society or human culture. Sociology is the study of human beings and their behavior in a social atmosphere. The term culture is defined as a way of learning through customs and traditions. African-American culture is rooted from Africa; this paper will include a synopsis of similarities and differences between the norms of my cultural background and those of the dominant American culture. As an African-American Female, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. I am the fifth of eight...

Words: 770 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Downlow Men

...“Down Low”: Homosexuals in the African American Community: Why is it a Taboo Topic? Danielle Carter Senior Seminar HSU 498 Professor Hogan March 25, 2010 Abstract The phenomenon known as the “Down Low” among African American Men who have sex with Men has caused much concern among black community leaders, the general population, and not to mention HIV/AIDS researchers. There are questions which are not being addressed regarding communication patterns of stigmatized groups specifically the “Down Low” group.  Why is there little research about the “Down Low”, when there is more than half AAMSM in this world? This paper will explain why so many African American men are on the “Down Low,” why there is a lack of communication when it comes to speaking about the “Down Low. This paper will also help Human Service workers learn how to help AAMSM and their families.   “Down Low”: Homosexuals in the African American Community A Review of the Literature Today, while there are men who are openly gay, it seems that the majority of those having sex with men still lead secret lives, products of a black culture that deems masculinity and fatherhood as a black man's primary responsibility (Roscoe, 2008). The “Down Low” culture has grown in recent years out of the shadows and developed its own contemporary institutions for those who know where to look for example...

Words: 3348 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Religious and Ethnic Diversity

...Religious and Ethnic Diversity Paper Ryan K Wehrsig, University of Phoenix I have chosen to write the religious part of this paper on the Roman Catholic religion. The Roman Catholic religion differs from other religions in many ways. The Church teaches that it is the one true Church divinely founded by Jesus Christ. They differ from a Christen religion even though they worship the same God. They have unique beliefs, practices, and traditions that set them apart from other Christians. Over the course of the centuries there has been many quarrels and hostilities between Catholics/Christians and Muslims. In the 1500’s the Roman Catholic Church did not tolerate any deviance from its teachings because they did not want to show a sign of weakness. The Roman Catholic religion has contributed a lot to the American culture. About 24 percent of Americans identify themselves as Catholic, making Catholicism the largest Christian denomination in America. One of the biggest religions we have here in our Country. Catholics faced a lot of discrimination and prejudice when they were first being introduced into the United States. Some states even tried to banning Catholicism. Even though the first amendment of the constitution granted freedom of religion a lot of Americans did not accept Catholic newcomers. From my research I have learned a lot about the catholic religion. It helped me to get to understand it a little more in the sense of now I know that they are part of the Christian religion...

Words: 907 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Dating Differences Amongst Race and Gender

...their compatibility and complementation to one another. Dating has always been perceived in a linear path one pursues with the end goal being marriage or at least an intimate long-term relationship. The concept of dating has so many various practices and protocols that this research paper will focus mainly on dating rituals within the United States. In the United States dating is generally the foundation that will ultimately lead to engagement, which will eventually become marriage. Typically two people will test or try out a relationship by going out together to various places and doing different things together depending upon interests and preferences. The time spent together determines whether the pair will continue to see each other and further establish their relationship or end things and date someone else with whom they might feel a stronger connection. This research intends to question the differences in the practices of dating between gender, race and socioeconomic status and why these differences persist. Is it just the societal norms that further reinforce these practices or is it because of other factors, which tie in to gender roles, cultural values, or social class status. Throughout the research there were similar ideas of social norms that are accepted when one is dating. The most common ones appeared to be gift giving, meeting each other’s family, dressing up and going out, and labeling the relationship when asked. These are all considered important moments that...

Words: 956 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

African American Suicide Literature Review

...facing African-Americans aside from the modern prison industrial complex. I selected this topic to review because suicide rates amongst African-American high school students has been on the rise for many years, in 2015, (10.2%) African-American females and (7.2%) African-American males tried to commit suicide (Center for Disease Control, 2015). Seeing this rise and the fact that more than half of the recent suicide population are African-American males is an alarming trend. Sadly, you do not hear about African-American people killing themselves, or thinking about suicide, or even having mental problems that would lead to suicidal ideation. This literature review paper, will discuss different sociocultural factors affecting the increase of suicide amongst African-Americans. The subgroups include men, women, and the adolescent age group within the African-American community. Some areas of mention are the prevalence of suicide within each group, the risk of suicide versus protective factors within each group, and the risk factors in each group....

Words: 554 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Linda's Heritage Assessment Paper

...Linda’s Heritage Assessment Paper Cultural differences abound in America today. Approaches to health also differ from one culture to another. People are shaped by their traditions and use traditional ways to satisfy their needs for better health (Agec, 2012). America is a melting pot of different cultures. This cultural diversity comes with differences in health traditions and health decisions. It could be a religious approach to health or a cultural tradition. Health has a different meaning for different people. So, everyone has a different approach to his or her health ( Alpa, 2007). Cultural heritage is an important of one’s economic, social and health issues. It helps one understand someone else’s health heritage, as well as traditional health methods that are used to maintain, protect, and restore health. Applying these concepts makes it easier to deal with a person’s physical, mental, and spiritual beliefs. Different cultures have different values and beliefs of health, disease, illness, birth, and death. It is essential to open a pathway for the effective communication of others values and beliefs, in regards to health, illness, family support as well as spiritual values ( Agec, 2012). Health concerns though practiced in all traditions, varies among different cultures. To become aware of another’s culture and health traditions can enable one to better understand and respect another’s cultural traditions, health...

Words: 1159 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Harriot Washingotn African American Studies Essay

...Harriet Washington – Medical Apartheid Book Essay QUESTION 1: Iatrophobia “One of the most harmful contemporary legacies of this history of abusive medical experimentation is that many African Americans are wary of participating in potentially life saving medical studies. A recent study in the American Journal of Law and Medicine estimated that only 1 percent of the nearly 20 million Americans enrolled in biomedical studies are black. This reluctance, though justified, has meant that blacks often miss out on the latest treatments and breakthroughs.” – Amara Rivera Given the History of Medical Apartheid in the U.S., African-Americans have tended to be iatrophobic. Should African-Americans continue to participate in medical research and trust their doctors today? Would Harriet Washington and Tim Wise be in support of your argument? QUESTION 2: Ebola Watch this Press TV video: The Debate: Ebola Man-made (pt1) (11 mins) Based on his arguments, is Dr. Short a conspiracy theorist? Comment on the validity of Dr. Short’s arguments and examples given the arguments provided by Washington in Medical Apartheid in the Epilogue of the book and in the rest of the text. Use the relevant examples and ideas Washington uses to draw connections between medical apartheid practiced on Blacks in the U.S and Blacks in Africa from her book. QUESTION 3: Scientific Racism and Eugenics The "science" of eugenics proposed that human perfection could be developed through selective breeding and...

Words: 1335 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Cultural Analysis Brazil

...[Cultural Analysis - brazil] | MKT 6003 RESEARCH PAPER | Abstract I currently lead a team called Pontonet as part of my responsibilities as Sr. Strategic Customer Manager who is based in Brazil. When I began my job in August I was quickly introduced and held meetings with my manager and a co-worker. I noticed very quickly that our abrasive American ways of communicating was not effective by listening in on conference calls with the three of us. I noticed as well that there was a seemingly deep sense that creating a more relation type of Management/Vendor management style was would make for a clearer and cleaner method than the alternative. I learned in haste that my report Jurandir at Pontonet began to surpass expectations quickly in comparison to other vendors in a surprisingly quick time frame. This paper shall also attempt to analyze the business and social culture of Brazil from an American point of view. In addition my purpose is to help achieve the most success when participating in a leadership activity with Pontonet. By having a better grasp of the cultural norms I believe that it will greater help me to have an advantage as a leader for this 3rd party management role I have accepted as part of my responsibilities. It is my understanding through research that Brazil’s business culture is much more stringent than the United States. In this paper it will be my intent to provide analysis and review the current business culture and relations that take place between...

Words: 2714 - Pages: 11