Race Relations in the US-- Activities & Discussion Points from 4/29

• Native IQ
• Sorting People Activity
• Michigan Affirmative Action Ban
• NYTimes: Should Affirmative Action be based on income?
• Donald Sterling & NBA Racism

ABC US News | ABC Business News

Colorism

A Class Divided-- Take Action

After viewing A Class Divided, consider how you personally, IHA, and your future colleges (and other organizations you belong to) are attempting to minimize prejudice and discrimination. What policies, clubs, activities, procedures are in place to do so. What are your thoughts/reactions to this exercise? Be prepared for an in-class discussion. 

Source: "One America in the 21st Century: Forging a New Future," from the Advisory Board Report of the President's Initiative on Race, September 1998. The report is available online athttp://clinton2.nara.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/cevent.html.

1. Make a commitment to become informed about people from other races and cultures.

2. If it is not your inclination to think about race, commit at least 1 day each month to thinking about how issues of racial prejudice and privilege might be affecting each person you come into contact with that day.

3. In your life, make a conscious effort to get to know people of other races.

4. Make a point to raise your concerns about comments or actions that appear prejudicial, even if you are not the targets of these actions.

5. Initiate a constructive dialogue on race within your workplace, school, neighborhood, or religious community.

6. Support institutions that promote racial inclusion.

7. Participate in a community project to reduce racial disparities in opportunity and well-being.

8. Insist that institutions that teach us about our community accurately reflect the diversity of our nation.

9. Visit other areas of the city, region, or country that allow you to experience parts of other cultures, beyond their food.

10. Encourage groups you can influence (whether you work as a volunteer or employee) to examine how they can increase their commitment to reducing racial disparities, lessening discrimination, and improving race relations.

Equal Pay Day

Yesterday (Tues 4/8) was Equal Pay Day, a day dedicated to reflection on the gender wage gap. President Obama signed a new executive order into place yesterday assisting women in getting information from federal contractors on pay rates and protecting women during conversations about pay.


Some have even discussed the gender wage gap as not only a women's issue, but a "family issue" as it relates to children, education, and social class.

This blog on the US Dept of Labor even cites Joan Holloway (a lead character in Mad Men!), relating today's gender issues in the workplace to those in the 1960's.

Read the above articles and think about what Equal Pay Day means for you. Do some brief research on your future career (if you know what you plan to pursue) or on a career of interest to you. Link to articles or webpages that provide salary statistics for the career. What are men paid on average vs. women?  What are your reactions?

Reflect on these questions and reply by 8am Thurs 4/10.

Fortune 500 & Women

Fortune 500 Full List

Women of the Fortune 500

20 Top Paying Jobs for Women for 2014

Bem Sex-Roles Inventory

Click on the link below and complete the questionnaire. Write down your scores when you are finished. 

Bem Sex-Roles Inventory

PlaySpent

After completing the PlaySpent exercise, what are your reactions? Detail your decisions and why you chose to do what you did. For example, what job did you choose?  why? Did you choose health insurance? Why/Why not? What living arrangements did you make? Why?  What other circumstances affected your living expenses for the month? 

What is your reaction to this exercise? What struggles/issues do the American poor face that keep them from moving up in social class? 

http://playspent.org/

Death Penalty

Women on Death Row- executed since 1976 (SlideShow)


Women and Death Penalty

Taboo: Extreme Punishment

After viewing the episode of Taboo, what are your reactions? In a paragraph, respond to the following questions here by Monday 3/17 @ 8:00am

• Choose 1 deviant behavior you witnessed 
• Describe the behavior, it's value in that culture, and why it is taboo to us
• Describe the sanctions associated with each (are they positive? Negative? How so... How are the sanctions based on culture? In the US how would we sanction this behavior?)
• Overall reaction
• How did your ethnocentrism affect you?

Video Link: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/extreme-punishment/

Violate a Social Norm!

(1) As a group, determine a social norm that you all agree to break. Choose from one of the following 3 categories: (Dress/Attire; Behavior; or Language)

Dress/Attire

• Caution: do not wear anything illegal, dangerous, or extremely disruptive.
• Example: Try dressing in male clothes. Wear formal attire to a casual get together. Wear a winter coat in the summer. Wear sandals in the snow. Wear stripes with polka dots. Wear an unstylish or outdated outfit. Wear a bright colored wig.

Behavior

• Example: Picking your nose? Burping in public? 

Language

• Example: Try using proper language with your friend group, do not use contractions (“do not” instead of “don’t”). 

(2) One person from the group post here-- 

1. Type: Group #, class color, and names (first name, last initial)
2. Define the norm you will violate. Describe briefly how this norm acts as a mechanism of social control. Describe what you will do to violate the norm.
3. Write your group’s hypothesis:  Describe the range of possible reactions others will have to the violation of this norm. What do you predict the major reaction will be?

*Extra Credit*- Superbowl Commercials

This Sunday, while watching the Super Bowl, pay attention to the commercials (which we know so many people look forward to every year!).  Do you see any gender stereotypes being portrayed?

Write a response about a commercial that reinforced gender stereotypes or one that went against them. What is your reaction to the commercial? What does it say about our society today?

Happy watching!

Ch 3: Question 1 (page 89)

Chapter 3: Socialization

Page 89- Thinking Critically Questions

1) Which 2 agents of socialization have influenced you the most? Can you pinpoint their influence on your attitudes, beliefs, values, or other orientations to life?

Write a brief response to this question-- explaining how each of your top 2 have impacted you.

Assigned: 2/4
Due: by 8am 2/5/2014

11 Untranslatable Words from Other Cultures

From: Daily Infographic

Disney & Gender Stereotypes

Disney movies are popular among children of all ages and many of us grew up watching these classic films. As we begin our conversation on gender development and socialization, consider how some of your favorite films portray gender stereotypes and other stereotypes for social behavior. 

 Answer the following questions (commenting below)  by Friday 1/31 at 8am. 

Choose your favorite Disney movie...
1.  Describe the main character's personality, behavior, and general characteristics (briefly... 3-5 sentences)
2. What gender stereotypes does this character reinforce? 
3. Who is the villain in the film? Do you see any gender stereotypes in this character? 
4. In general, what does this film teach children about gender and other components of socialization? What are the pros and cons of this film? 


TED TALK: How Movies Teach Manhood

Welcome to Sociology!

Welcome to Sociology! We're going to have a great semester, packed with tons of interesting topics and info. Sociology focuses on the behaviors of groups of people and societies. This blog will serve as our homebase for discussions and explorations. I'm looking forward to reading your first posts.

Feel free to explore each other's blogs (linked on the left). Follow the calendar (see Semester Project) and enjoy your study of your selected topic.