...become a “restrictive structure of forces and barriers that immobilize and reduce a group or category of people” (Heldke & O’Connor 2004:530). “Class refers to endure and systematic differences in access to and control over production of goods and services, as well as the resources for provisioning and survival” (Acker 2006: 442). “Gender, refers to the socially constructed differences between male and female and the beliefs and identities that support difference and inequality, is also present in all organizations” (Acker 2006:444). “Race, refers to socially defined differences based on physical characteristics, culture, and historical domination and oppression, justified by entrenched beliefs” (Weber 2001 :10).This paper will analyze and discuss the issue of oppressions in relation to class, gender, and race using W.E.B. Du Bois’ thoughts on race, gender, and class. Also, the intersectional theory according to Patricia Hill Collins will be used for analyzing and discussion in regards race, gender and class. The work of W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963) has recently become recognized for its significant contributions to sociological theory (Zuckerman 2004:3). Although Du Bois himself was overwhelmingly concerned with the scientific perspective of "value free" sociological research, later social theorists have found his views on race to offer one of...
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...Gender, Class, and Race Stereotypes in American Television A Content Analysis Gender, class, and race stereotypes abound in contemporary society, much like they have done throughout human history. With the advent of television, however, stereotypical assumptions have become so pervasive, and so diffused, that some call for a serious and purposeful scrutiny of television's contents. On the following pages, various content analyses of television programs will be addressed, followed by discussions on the greater implications race, class, and gender stereotypes have on society. The research method most often used in studying media images is called content analysis. Content analysis is a descriptive method in which researchers analyze the actual content of documents and/or programs. By systematically counting items pertaining to a specific category, researchers are able to conceptualize a larger theoretical framework based on their observations of media content (Wiseman 1970). Content analyses of television programming show, that during prime time hours, men make up the vast majority of characters shown. Furthermore, women characters found during that same time frame are mainly in comedies, while men predominate in dramas. Thus, the implications are that men are to be taken serious, while women should not. (Tuchman 1978). Similarly, content analyses on soap operas reveal highly stereotypical representations of the genders. In soap operas, strong, willful women are predominantly...
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...Mayella is a white female living in the lowest of the low class. Due to her race, gender, and class status, Mayella does not have much power. In the following text below, will be an explanation for all of these themes that have been called to your attention, explaining the reasoning for saying. According to race, class and gender, Mayella Ewell, is not all powerful. It is the nineteen-twenties, in this time period; the Jim Crow laws are still in effect. These laws state that, “Any white woman who shall suffer or permit herself to be got with child by a Negro or mulatto… shall be sentenced to the penitentiary for not less than eighteen months.” (DBQ “Is Mayella Ewell Powerful According to Race, Class and Gender?”) This is exactly what Mayella did. In the courthouse, Tom Robinson, an African American, Is being accused of raping and beating Mayella; however, it was Mayella’s father, Bob Ewell, who was abusing Mayella....
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...1. Discuss How the Interaction of Class, Gender, Race and Age Affects Criminal Opportunities Many criminologists have looked for the answers on the effects of crime with only a few who agree on common grounds on why some choose to commit crimes and others choose to defy it even though there are given opportunities. Criminologists have found four sociological variables class, gender, race, and age are now viewed as a direct contributor to deviant behavior. One view as put by Anderson “When alienation becomes so entrenched, an oppositional culture can develop and flourish. This culture, especially among the young can gain strength and legitimacy by opposing dominant society and its’ agents.”(Andersen 1999: 216). This view I think is one of these biggest contributing factors. The second biggest factor I think lies in the Strain theory which argues that these variables, particularly class, lead to blocked opportunities in achieving the shared “American Dream” which then fostered deviant alternatives for economic success (Cloward and Ohlin 1960). Race, class gender and age are positions that do shape access to the opportunity structure, and may make a path to values that are a direct cause of deviance. Certain types of deviant activities do require knowledge, skills, rationales, and avenues for engagement. Class continues to be the primary consideration, because it interacts with race, gender and age, these which are often implied if not thoroughly addressed. Until recently, the focus...
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...sociological variables class, gender, race, and age are now viewed as a direct contributor to deviant behavior. One view as put by Anderson “When alienation becomes so entrenched, an oppositional culture can develop and flourish. This culture, especially among the young can gain strength and legitimacy by opposing dominant society and its’ agents.”(Andersen 1999: 216). This view I think is one of these biggest contributing factors. The second biggest factor I think lies in the Strain theory which argues that these variables, particularly class, lead to blocked opportunities in achieving the shared “American Dream” which then fostered deviant alternatives for economic success (Cloward and Ohlin 1960). Race, class gender and age are positions that do shape access to the opportunity structure, and may make a path to values that are a direct cause of deviance. Certain types of deviant activities do require knowledge, skills, rationales, and avenues for engagement. Class continues to be the primary consideration, because it interacts with race, gender and age, these which are often implied if not thoroughly addressed. Until recently, the focus has been on poverty as a third contributor to deviance, and yes, some types of deviance are more available to the poor, often not by choice. Some forms of crime require wealth and power such as White Collar crimes generally committed by the middle-class or the rich being mostly white, male and middle-aged. No factors in class, gender, race, nor age are...
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... Pierre Bourdieu How do class, gender, sexuality or race work in relation to taste today? Using at least two key theorists discussed on the course, explain how ideas of taste are presented in any two media texts. The concept of good taste and class has always been a sensitive subject for those perceived as lacking enough taste or class to fit in the higher echelons of society. Historically, taste. class and it’s symbols have always been defined by the social elite. It was been incredibly difficult for outsiders to gain access to the knowledge that ensured the ruling class were in a position to define taste for the rest of the population. There has however always been a drive in the lower classes to earn acceptance and even entry to the higher class of society. This drive has been a major factor to the success of capitalism, giving birth to mass production and economic well fare. Renowned french sociologist Pierre Bourdieu theorised on cultural, social and symbolic values in order to analyze what constituted taste and class. (Swartz, David. 1997) Bourdieu believed that if one possessed a great deal of cultural capital (knowledge of the arts, language or artistic flair) one would be perceived as a higher class than someone without the same knowledge. Bourdieu argues that all members of society exist in a multidimensional social space: where one is not only defined by social class membership but any kind of capital one could gain...
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...The two concepts of race and class developed together and were tangled through the history, so I think they could be elaborated together in the following essay. So how did the idea about race and class form and develop? The answer could be found starting from the colonial period. In the colonial period, Europeans tried to establish settlements in Florida, the Northeast area bordering Canada, the Virginia colony, and the Southwest. By the 1600s, English colonists had established a system of indentured servitude that included both Europeans and Africans. Soon after, the slave labor system replaced the indentured working labor systems and gradually became rooted in the society. Due to the relationship between white owners and black slaves, the social hierarchy based on the race emerged naturally. Of course, white had the superiority and the black were attached tags of inferiority. The other race is the Native Americans. They were aboriginal people on the land of America. Although they developed good relationship with the first colonists, the conflicts between the Natives and the white Americans over the land issue could never be peacefully solved. Because the natives were outdated in their weapons so they lost their land to the white Americans. At that time, the absolute force meant the dominant power. The natives had to give in, and hence they became subordinates instead of the owner of the land. The most obvious point was the Indian Removal Act. Though it raised a lot of controversy...
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...I. Racial and Ethnic Identity The distinction between ethnic group and race are too subtle for clarification; however, Scientists distinguish race on the basis of “physical characteristics” (11), such as a person’s skin tone, texture of hair or facial features. As people continue to migrate into this country, the increase number of interracial children will eventually alter the biological composition of future generations. This evolution of race will impair the variables that scientists use to classify race. Society distinguishes a person’s race based on collective conjecture; while the majority of us accept appearance as the driving force we assign a race or ethnicity. As the races intermingle, societies’ ability to categorize American’s by “social construct,” will be contingent more so on “Social assumptions,” such as language, religion, customs and ethnic group membership to determine race. White like me—Judith Levine I loved reading this! Ms. Levine has step outside herself and realized what the majority of white people in America may never be aware—“whiteness” (48). This became evident to Ms. Levine as she moved from New York’s highly diverse culture, to mainstream white neighborhood in Vermont. She says “Whiteness purports to be both nothing and everything” (48). She explains how whiteness is this invisible power that makes the majority of white people their race is superior bar none. She realized her skin shielded her from the struggles of minorities and...
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...Race and ethnicity, gender and age, and social class in the United States shape the experience surprisingly. This reality has been generally archived in consider and, to some degree, is commonly understood. New studies interpret race and ethnicity, gender and age, and social class in the United States are interlocking classifications of experience that influence all parts of life; along these lines, they all the while structure the encounters surprisingly in the public eye. At any minute, race, ethnicity, class, age or sex may feel more notable or important in every individual life, yet they are covering and aggregate on their impact on individuals' encounters. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age and Class observation invites us to distinguish between...
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...Accuracy of Braveheart The mass media plays a large role in modern society. Indeed, many have argued that people spend more time in “mass-mediated” interaction than in actual human interaction. The mass media, then, would seemingly be an excellent position to initiate social change, positively affect social problems, and help combat social ills that are considered normal patterns of behavior. Yet, the mass media has largely failed in addressing and helping to solve social problems. As seen through its presentation of the three major variables of race, class, and gender, the mass media has actually served to contribute to the social problems it covers, reinforcing them, and creating an inter-related cycle in which these problems continue. TV has become perhaps the primary vehicle that society receives its information and presents its values and expectations. One of the most important roles television plays is its presentation of news and information. What a station chooses to present as newsworthy can play a strong role in how people view their society and the world around them. Often, television news sources have followed a philosophy of “if it bleeds, it leads”, focusing on violence in urban environments. This violence occurs more frequently in black neighborhoods, resulting in what amounts to essentially as a steady, nightly stream of reports on violence in the inner-city by and among African-Americans. In this way, the television media plays a strong...
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...From centuries ago to now, numerous conflicts have occurred involving race, class, and gender. People from all ages have fought and argued over the issue of equality. A person’s class, gender, or race can affect whether they are powerful or powerless. Harper Lee, the author To Kill a Mockingbird, discusses the idea of power primarily through the character Mayella Ewell. Mayella, a white woman, accuses a black man of raping her. While Mayella is white, she is not powerful because she is a low class female who must live with an abusive father. Mayella is not powerful in regards to her gender as a female because as a female she cannot control or make decisions about her life. Furthermore, she is often disrespected by males. Males most of the...
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...convict an innocent man because of her wrongdoings. Because of Mayella’s class, and gender, Mayella lacks power, but her race makes her powerful. Again, Mayella Ewell lacks power because of her social class. “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a negro cabin” (Doc A) shows and tells us that the Ewells class falls very low, limiting Mayella’s power socially. Mayella’s limited social power is also shown in the quote “Mayella must have been the most lonely person in the world… white people had nothing to do with her because she lived among pigs, and the negroes wouldn’t have anything to do with her because she is white” (Doc E) because Mayella was not socially accepted by anyone. It is lastly shown in the quote “‘Won’t answer a word long as you keep mocking me”’ because this shows Mayella has never seen the power to be called “ma’am” or “Miss”, so she takes great offense to it when Atticus speaks (Doc C). Besides the lack of power socially due to her social class, Mayella also...
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...INTRODUCTION Diversity it is the difference between things Diversity in the classroom have a specific impact on both the learners and the educator, diversity impact the education and learners in a positive way as they all are different and they want to do better than the other Diversity comes in ways such as race, gender, sexual orientation, background, experience, cultural context BODY RACE Race is the term that is used to define the groups of people who have differences; we have different types of race which are blacks or whites. Race diversity is very important to talk about because we normally put it in the backseat, talking about it in class will help learners to have a positive race identity and learn to communicate well with others without...
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...stratification exists everywhere on earth. People of societies are separated on the bases of social class, race, ethnicity, and gender. Let us examine these different kinds stratification. Social stratification is the ranking of people and the rewards they receive based on objective criteria including wealth, power, and/or prestige. All societies have social stratifications, but the how people are divided varies. In the U.S people are divided not only by political, corporate, and government elites, but also by income and wealth. Race and ethnic stratification occur when people are divided into groups according to their race and/or ethnic backgrounds. Race refers to one’s physical appearance and ethnicity refers to one’s cultural heritage. The groups are majority, minority, and dominate groups. Majority groups represent the group with the largest numbers and they have significant power and privilege in a society. Minority groups are less in numbers and have less power. Dominant groups are groups with power and they use their power to discriminate against others. Gender stratification occurs because society constructs what is appropriate for a girl and what is appropriate for a boy, therefore people are separated based on gender identity. Gender can refer to an individual’s sex, social role, or gender identity which is one’s perception of their self as male or female. Gender stratification results in patriarchies, matriarchies and sexism. A patriarchy is a system where the father...
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...people 1. Wealth and income (social class) 2. Racial inequality 3. Gender inequality. Equality/inequality -Ontological equality -Equality of opportunity -Equality of condition -Equality of outcome Why inequality exists? Inequality in wealth and access to resources is generated by three processes: 1.) Unequal division of labor and/or low mobility across occupations. 2.) Surplus or abundance of resources 3.) The desire to accumulate wealth and assets Types of social mobility: mobility refers to movement between different position within a system of social stratification 1. Horizontal 2. Vertical 3. Structural 4. Exchange Why the class structure is changing -Massive growth in inequality between the rich and the poor. Called the “Great U-Turn” -Shrinking of the working class, with some growth in middle class and working poor. -Growth of poverty and the “underclass” -Rate of poverty is increasing twice as fast as population growth Why income inequality is increasing -Largely due to the increasing concentration of wealth at the very top of the income distribution. consequences of income inequality -High levels of income inequality reduces social cohesion, overall health, overall wealth, and education -Increases crime, debt, and political polarization Social construction of race -Instead, social scientists argue that “race” is socially constructed. Racial categories and the meaning of race vary over time and geographically. ...
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