...“Ethnic Notions:” Exploring Caricatures Racial formation is the process by which socio-historical designations of race are created and manipulated. When dealing with racial formation, one dominant group always has the power to impose racial definitions onto others. In America’s history, this one dominant group has been Caucasians. In the book, “Ethnic Notions,” Marlon Riggs explores the evolution of caricatures imposed on African Americans throughout the history, claiming the impact of such caricatures “did as much harm as any lynch mob.” In many ways, this claim speaks the truth. The mammy, sambo, pickaninny, zip coon, and uncle are a few important caricatures that prove white America’s innermost fears regarding race and white superiority. The mammy caricature is one that defeminizes African American women. Drawn as a smiling, hefty servant, her loyalty to her white owner’s family trumps that to her own children. The mammy was used as evidence of the “humanity” of slavery’s institution, for she was posited as content with her lowly position. This caricature reflects the fear of mixing races. By desexualizing African American women, like the mammy, then white men would then be less likely to become sexually involved with them. Many blues artists in the 1920s-30s stood up against the mammy caricature, such as Ma Rainey; her image stood to sexualize the mammy. The sambo caricature was depicted as a perpetual child, one who was incapable of living an independent...
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...Voting Age Matthew Clayton states in an article that “...Having the right to vote is widely recognized as one of the most important legal rights within a democracy.” (Wing and Clayton 534) With suffrage being an imperative democratic right, the questions of whether there should be a minimum voting age and if so, what age that should be set have quickly become central political issues. In 1971, the United States ratified the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, eliminating the age standard of twenty-one and granting eighteen year olds the right to vote. This was due to the realization of the double standard that eighteen year olds were old enough to be sent to fight for their country, but not old enough to vote for the people who represented it. A similar situation is occurring today, as American citizens under the age of eighteen pay taxes, drive cars, abide by the laws, are affected by the decisions of politicians, etc., but are denied the right to vote. These citizens are perfectly capable of making informed decisions and fulfilling the duties of a registered voter. Being affected by political decisions just as much as someone over the age of eighteen, citizens as young as the age of sixteen should be granted the right to vote. (Wing and Clayton 536) At the youthful age of sixteen, one can accomplish much more than they could at a prior time in their life. In most states, a sixteen year old can become emancipated from their parents, obtain a work permit, hold a job, choose...
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...campaign. Over the course of the year we discussed the importance...
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...However, the fight for women in today’s world is labeled as feminism, which quite literally means the social, political, and economic rights of the sexes. Rebecca Lewin depicts feminism as a “model for a social state – an ideal, or a desired standard of perfection not yet attained in the world”. Lewin expressed this in 1983, and still today’s society has failed to reach this goal. Feminism has transformed into the second “F” word, where society labels feminism as a harmful, extremist movement. The feminist movement has become synonymous with man – hating, bra – burning, lesbians who engage in radical protests to ultimately eliminate men from society and become a female dominated world. Which, is why this world needs a continued women’s rights movement to eradicate the ideology that fighting for the equality of women is obscene or unnatural. Feminism eventually inspired the term “Herstory”, which emerged in the 1960s, a very exciting time in American history full of social change. Herstory aims to look at history through a women’s perspective, emphasizing women’s triumphs and struggles they have experienced throughout time. Herstory is especially important when discussing first wave feminism, which refers to the European and North American mobilization to gain voting and other citizenship rights for women during the 19th and 20th century. This time was filled with controversy and strong women who...
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...people behave as they do (Pearson). Everything we do as humans relates to our cultures and where we come from, whether it’s how we speak, walk, dance, right down to how we may think and our beliefs comes from our individual cultures. Cross cultural research allows psychologist to examine the way these influences affect our behavior as well as the study of gender. Cross cultural studies gave birth to Anthropologists Margret Mead’s classic work “Sex and Temperament” which is still cited by Feminist abroad because of its findings. It suggest that definitions of masculinity and femininity are not biological but created by cultures (Pearson). Most cultures around the world have their own unique taboos, but one of the most common is gender stereotypes. History has shown, most cultures around the world have...
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...BSHS/345 Diversity and Special Populations Annotated Bibliography Arab Culture: Learn about Arab etiquette and protocols. (2004). In Planet Egypt online. Retrieved from http://www.planetegypt.co.uk/samoora.shtml This article discusses the difference between Arab, Middle-Eastern and Muslim people. The author talks about the region in which a person is from, as well as language and religion is what determines which group one would identify with. The history and cultures of Arabic people are provided in this article. Cacho, L. M. (2001). Asian Americans. University of Hawaii Press The article discusses the relationships between Asian Americans and their families. The author explains how they have to deal with certain stereotypes in order to succeed in a place where they are Americans, but still considered to be foreigners. The article is a good resource for understanding how Asian Americans feel in a country where so many barriers are placed upon them. Caroll, S.R. (1994, December). Why poor black children succeed or fail. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.chicagotribune.com/africanamericancultue The conceptual article begins with the broad discussion about African American culture. It projects today’s youth and the inconsistency of what Americans idolize as equality in school systems. It discusses the present’s findings of family and individual studies that factor in the high and low achieving African-American students. It schemes the risk factors...
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...them to behave in a way that others in the group think is suitable”. This definition of the word socialize, leads into another, which is that of socialization. Socialization is a definitive part of every human’s life. Socialization is defined as “The life long process of social interaction through which: we become a consistent and recognizable person, and acquire the physical mental and social skills needed for survival in society.” In our crazy society, social ties are pretty far down on our “to do” lists, but connection to others is turning out to be more important than we thought. Studies indicate that “social capital” is one of the biggest predictors for health, happiness, and longevity. The problem: we often do not recognize the importance of social connection. Our culture values hard work, success, and wealth, so it’s no surprise some of us do not set aside enough time for social ties when we think security lies in material things rather than other people. The human infant comes into the world as a biological organism with animal needs. He is gradually molded into a social being and he learns social ways of acting and feeling, without this process of molding, the society could not continue itself, nor could culture exist, nor could the individual becomes a person. This process of molding is called 'Socialization'. Socialization begins at birth and continues throughout life. Socialization is deliberate when individuals are told what to do or how to act. Much socialization...
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...1. Look at the Cheik Anta Diop links, Parts 1-6. a. What major example does Diop use to demonstrate the lengths anthropologists and scholars will go through to establish the polygenetic theory? The major example that Dr. Diop uses to demonstrate the lengths anthropologists and scholars will go through to establish the polygenetic theory is the fabrication of a fake fossil by British geologist, Dawson, in 1912. Dawson created a fossil with eyes and forehead of a modern man, but had a mandible and canines of a monkey. b. State the infamous name(s) associated with the fabrication that went unchallenged for decades. Scientist from different countries adopted and defended the Pre-sapiens Theory that was manufactured to indicate that the first remainders were found in Europe. 2. Look at the Cheik Anta Diop links, Part 4. a. Name the four regional groups (i.e. ethnicity, phenotype). The four regional groups that Dr. Diop mentioned are black General Type Egyptian, the General Type of all Europeans represented by the artist, General type of all the other groups of the interior continent of Africa, and General Type of all the Semites living the area of Asia. b. Identify the ethnicity of the artist The artist represented himself as the Black General Type Egyptian, so that indicates that the artist was black. c. Identify what was commonly used as artists’ signatures at that time. 3. In your own words: a. What is an Afrocentric frame of reference? An Afrocentric...
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...Demographic Changes The united states is a rapidly growing "melting pot" of cultures and diversity, but over the past decade it has exploded into a nation with ever changing diversity, a widening wealth gap, and a ever increasing age gap. Immigration has always been a part of America's history, but the consistency of incoming cultures and the diversity they offer is always changing. In the 1950's Europeans made up half of the immigrant coming into the United States, while Asians brought in only 6%. Only forty years later immigration shifted the diversity of the land with more Asian immigrants than Europeans, as well as 4.3 million Mexican immigrants, and 1.4 Philippines, just to name a few (History.com). Immigration has affected the diversity of our church in the same way it has America. Today the church has welcomed people from all over the world, Madrid, California, New Zeeland and so on. Only fifteen years ago ninety-five percent of followers were Missouri residence but, with all the new additions, residence have become the minority in this Missouri based church. Not only has the diversity of the land changed but, a widening wealth gap has hit every age group, striking the 65 and older age group the hardest. Over the past twenty years the wealth gap between the 35-44 age group has steadily grown by 21% and will soon take the lead among all age group gaps (Martel, 2013). Judy Martel from Bizrate.com describes contributors to wealth as gains in the stock market...
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...Chapter 5: Gender Stratification by sex is a feature found in most societies, with men generally being in a more dominant position in society than women. Men have traditionally been seen in a wide range of active and creative roles – as warriors, hunters, and workers, as political leaders or successful business executives, as scientists, engineers, inventors, and great artists. Women have traditionally been seen as housewives and mothers confined to the home and caring for their husbands and children. Even when working outside the home, women's jobs often seem to be an extension of their caring role in the home, looking after others as receptionists, secretaries, nurses, teachers, and social workers. Are these differences simply an extension of the biological make-up of males and females, or are they a product of the ways that males and females are brought up in society? (Nature vs. Nurture) SEX AND GENDER • Sex: (whether someone is male or female) refers to the natural or biological differences between men and women, such as difference in genitals, internal reproductive organs, and body hair. • Gender: (whether someone is masculine or feminine) refers to the cultural, socially constructed differences between the two sexes. It refers to the way a society encourages and teaches the two sexes to behave in different ways through socialization. • Gender role: is the pattern of behavior and activity which society expects from individuals of either...
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...would not be dependent on their former slave-owners. Then, between 1890 and 1917, there was a movement to lobby the government for pensions to compensate for their unpaid labour under slavery. Since 1989, Congressman John Conyers Jnr (Michigan) has introduced a bill every year to study the case for reparations. Each of these initiatives has been largely ignored by the political establishment. • Reparations would ensure full recognition of the scale of the Maafa and, at the same time, undermine those who claim that there is no further need for Affirmative Action. They would also compensate for slavery, provide psychological relief for black anger and white guilt resulting from centuries of racial oppression and, as a result, build a more united nation based on a common understanding of American history. • To those who argued that it would be impossible to determine who...
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...Houston Community College Homework 1-5 Presented To: Lloyd W. Gaddis By Yushana Ford Government 2305 8:00A.M- 9:30A.M Mon/Wed 09/20/2015 Chapter 1: The More Things Change…The More They Stay the Same 1. Analyze current problems and issues in American Government by applying Historical perspectives: -History Repeats Itself +A new Communication medium paves the way to Electoral Victory- Meaning the internet and social media have revolutionized American politics. Campaign advertising is the use of an advertising campaign through the media to influence political debate and ultimately voters. Political advertising has changed drastically over the last several decades. Harry S. Truman was proud of his accomplishment of shaking approximately 500,000 hands but his accomplishment was soon pale compared to the next presidential election with the advent of television, war hero and presidential candidate D.W Eisenhower created commercials to get votes and so on and it different with different elections and different decades. +The Power of Incumbency- It is usually used in reference to elections where races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbents. Incumbents have easier access to campaign finance and government resources that can be indirectly used to boost a campaign. Incumbency is any elected official who is already in office and seeking re-election. 2. Explain the Philosophical underpinnings of American Political System through...
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...The campaign for suffrage - a historical background Today, all British citizens over the age of eighteen share a fundamental human right: the right to vote and to have a voice in the democratic process. But this right is only the result of a hard fought battle. The suffrage campaigners of the nineteenth and early twentieth century struggled against opposition from both parliament and the general public to eventually gain the vote for the entire British population in 1928. ------------------------------------------------- Who took part in the campaign? The first women's suffrage bill came before parliament in 1870. Soon after its defeat, in 1897, various local and national suffrage organisations came together under the banner of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) specifically to campaign for the vote for women on the same terms 'it is or may be granted to men'. The NUWSS was constitutional in its approach, preferring to lobby parliament with petitions and hold public meetings. In contrast, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), formed in 1903, took a more militant view. Almost immediately, it characterised its campaign with violent and disruptive actions and events. Together, these two organisations dominated the campaign for women's suffrage and were run by key figures such as the Pankhurstsand Millicent Fawcett. However, there were other organisations prominent in the campaign, including the Women's Freedom League (WFL). These groups were often...
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...UNIT 3C: REPRESENTATIVE PROCESS IN THE USA SECTION 1: ELECTIONS & VOTING Primaries: * Election to select a parties candidacy for president * Open primary: A primary for any registered voter, democrat or republican. E.G. Texas * Closed: A primary for democrats and a primary for Republicans. (Separate one’s) * Invisible primary: candidates try to gain support and finance in the year before the primary * Proportional primary: awarded delegates in proportion to votes they get * Winner-takes-all: Win the most votes and you take all the states delegates Advantages: * Increased level of participation from ordinary votes (30% in 2008) * Increased interest from people * Increased choice of candidates (14 in 2008) * Removing power from party bosses Disadvantages: * Turnout is usually low * Voters are usually unrepresentative of normal voters (tend to be wealthier, old and better educated) * Process is far too long and expensive (Obama in 2008 announced his running 332 before the first primary * Fails to test presidential qualities Increased importance of primaries: * Really the only route to become a parties President Caucuses: * A meeting for the selection of a candidate * Usually held in states that are geographically large but thinly populated (Iowa, North Dakota, Nevada) * Turnout is usually pretty low, and usual favour ideological candidates National party conventions: Formal functions: ...
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...Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination: The effect of group based expectations on moral functioning Jennifer Steele, Y. Susan Choi, and Nalini Ambady Harvard University In press in T.A. Thorkildsen, J. Manning, & H.J. Walberg (Eds.), Children and Youth Series: Nurturing Morality. New York: Kluwer Academic. Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination: The effect of group based expectations on moral functioning As citizens of the United States, we are extremely fortunate to live in a democracy, and more specifically, a society that upholds egalitarian and meritocratic ideals. As a nation, we have fought wars and faced internal struggles in order to establish this system and champion these values. Within the last two centuries we have abolished slavery, given women the right to vote, and desegregated schools. In more recent years the movement towards equal opportunity has been advanced even further; public and private schools have increased financial support for economically disadvantaged scholars, and affirmative action programs have been developed as yet another means of combating inequities. It would seem that as a society, we are moving towards our moral ideal of equality for one and all. And yet, disparities remain. Race continues to be inextricably linked to socio-economic status and education level, with certain racial and ethnic groups, such as Caucasian- and Asian-Americans reaping more societal advantages on average than others, including...
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