Post #5: race and racism -dubois

Dubois defines race as a conception that separates humans into distinct groups, where each group are defined by physical traits that differentiates them from other groups into ranks. Race is the core unit of racism, and from then on is racecraft.  Racecraft doesn’t focus on the ideas for groups and their traits as race does but focuses more on opinions and persuasive beliefs.

I believe that racisim still exits, even if in public it is said that it is not right. A lot of people say racial comments, however, they will only express these thoughts to people of their comfort zone. Because publicly racism would be wrong and shameful to express, it still exist in small personal groups. I have witnessed these behaviors and have actually been shocked to see that people still feel so strongly about this.

At my former job, I was in the break room with my manager having lunch. We were discussing new hires and qualities he was looking for in applicants. The location we worked in was a heavy Spanish area, people from the Caribbean, central and south america. Speaking spanish was a must to work there, therefore, any person who spoke the language would of been good enough to work with us. I remembered he told me, “It doesn’t even matter if you speak spanish to me because regardless I am only going to hire Dominicans and Puerto Ricans.” My mouth dropped. I didn’t agree with his thoughts but I knew he was open with me to express only because I was one of his own kind.

Blog#16: “Reading the Riots” – Supplement reading of Merton

I learned about the riots that were going on in London through the videos that were shown in class. Personally I do not get involved in riots that might endanger me because it is a move towards what I think people say radical. I am a type of person who does not go to the spot light and try to be behind the scene and see what will happen – the outcome of the event. The reading about “reading the riots” states that this report is a focused study of what is not previously experienced in “nature, motivations, attitudes, and experiences of those who rioted across London and in Brminham, Manchester, Salford, Nottingham, and Liverpool.”(pdf pg., 2).

There were 270 people that were interviewed because they were directly involved in the riots in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Salford, Liverpool, and Nottingham. These interviews were confidential.  There were more adults from 18-25 involve and up to 30 percent of teens were involve. But the majority ethnic people that were involved were African Americans. (This is not surprising because people of color in any place in the world are being oppressed and denied things from their home.) This report is very important because they focused on who was involved in the riots and what were their Mo vitiations as any other people wanting to get involve.

One of the motivations of the people in the riots was the treatments they were getting from the police it is 85percent the reason the riots had happen (which in the 2 videos shown in class stated). Also in the interview they state that police lack of respect and anger and due to the stop and search they were targeted most unfairly (pdf,pg.4). There were 185 interviews in long and 3 in Nottingham. The majority of the people where students and unemployed and I was surprised to find out that most of the people who were rioting are the poor people of the country. I actually interested in the polls they have created for the protesters believe what was the cause of the riots (on page 11). In addition to the people that were involve in the riots there were more men than women. There were 79percent of men a 21percent of women in the riots which people who got involve in the riots states that was the amount of women involve in the riots.

So the riots unfolded as a small-scale disorder in Tottenham in August but the protest went sour when the police shot a local black man two days earlier and this event caused an uproar of violence which was presented in future protest. The first day of the protest in August the family of Duggan wanted to speak to the senior police officer but tensions grew and two thrown police car was set on fire. Later in the evening to the night the looting in the streets which the next day in Enfield another breakout had occurred was another looting but in the stores.

However it does not matter where the riots occurs it is the reasons why they are doing these riots and one the reasons is that the “police is the biggest gang out there” and the word gang in these is “people who try and intimidate members of the public” (PDF pg.18). I find it a new phrase that the police is like a gang because I feel that the police are corrupt politicians. I have taken a sociology course called sociology of social movements. In addition some rioters wanted to have their revenge against police

I understand that these people want to hurt the police but making the riots become more than what truly was (friends and family trying to speak to the chief police officer of the killing of Duggan. But even if it was only about him the riots became more than hearing out the chief police it is about the repressed people who have to take the abuse of the police. Sadly 81percent of the people believe riots would happen again, and my opinion and what have had happen or yet to happen would occur someday.

Overall I believe what Merton trying to say is that people finds a way, in deviance action, to show the world what is going on and this is what is happening. Also as mentioned the majority of the people that is being involve in the riots are people who are unemployed and they seek the help of the government and not the being repressed by the police for being what/who they are. I think in certain situations violence is the only thing people are willing to use to show the world the sick reality and show that the people who are rebelling are rejecting the values in society and its goals but they are trying to show the world there has to be some type of change (similar to innovation).

Reference

Reading the Riots: Investigating England’s summer disorder

Is the grass always greener on the other side? – Blog post #4

In the seoul fashion week video it was shown that many asian women undergo plastic surgery to look like the women of western culture. These women want double eyelid surgery in order to get wider eyes that western women have. This shows that many people have this idea that if they look like someone else that they will be prettier and it will make them happier. But does it actually make them happier? It seems like its not much of a choice but something that will be done eventually. In their culture getting plastic surgery is something very common. It would seem as though it’s part of society’s norm to get the eyelid surgery. These women receive the pressures to get the surgery done because everyone is doing it. It is common trait that all human’s hold, we want what we cannot have and even if we get what we wanted it will never be enough. We will always want more or something new. I think that no matter what society a person is part of, this idea will always stick. Even here in the U.S. many people are getting plastic surgery as well. The only difference is that here in the U.S. women strive to be skinny and have a larger chest so they will undergo surgeries to change that. The actual surgeries being done in different cultures differs depending on what their society believes is beautiful. The idea that we all want what we do not have seems to be true because of the pressures society holds.

Blog Post #3 Goffman – Stigma

Goffman talks about the idea of stigma, which is a mark of social disgrace a person may get for a certain characteristic they hold. People will be made fun of or rejected by others who create the stigma. An example of this is a gay person. I have read numerous readings for my sociology of sexuality class, most of which showed the same idea. Many gay people are forced to live life uncomfortably because of the stigma that is associated with them being gay. Most gay people will try to hide their sexuality by trying to act heterosexual because society holds the idea that being heterosexual is the “norm”. For many, they did not want to be associated with the word gay because they did not want to feel different than what society says. They would feel like outcasts because there are people who put them down. Stigma is something that should not be done and i believe that it is because society sets out these ideas of what is normal and not normal, that is why stigma still exists. No one will want to ever feel left out so many try to hide their own characteristics in order to fit into society. It is extremely unfortunate, which is why there shouldn’t be a “norm” because everyone is different and are all part of this society.